


Dancing With the Devil

by Lilas12



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Female Character, POV Second Person, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2018-09-03 06:53:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 30,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8701789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilas12/pseuds/Lilas12
Summary: Gregory's niece, You (Rose), are "offered" to the Saviors as a sign of good will when Hilltop starts working with them. You think you will handle it without a glitch and take advantage of the situation to spy on them. But then, You meet Negan. And nothing goes according to plan.





	1. The Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone !  
> A little clarification before we embark together on this new adventure. I'm french and it's my first attempt at writing a full multi-chapter fanfiction in english. So, I apologise beforehand for all my mistakes. I don't have a beta yet and I'm actually looking for one so if anyone is interessted, it would be the best thing in the world. 
> 
> So, if you can overlook all my gramatical mistakes (especially the sequence of tenses) and bear with me, it would be awesome. ^^
> 
> Happy reading and don't forget to tell me what you think about this very first chapter.
> 
> xoxo  
> Lilas12
> 
> ps: The title of this story is inspired by the song "Dancing with the Devil" by Marina Key. Check it out! It's a great song.

**Dancing with the Devil**

**Chapter 1: The Gift**

You had known, from the moment you had agreed to this, that this was final boss of bad ideas. You should have tried to object more, to find a way around it, but he had given you no choice really. You had known deep inside that you would regret it, but you had volunteered and obeyed. After all, who where you to doom another soul to this wretched situation? You would have never forgiven yourself for it. But, to be honest, even if you had known what would happen long before this all begun, you are not sure you would have done anything differently. Because, yes, you had suffered and cried and feared… but what you had experienced in return had turned out to be the greatest adventure of you life. Anyway, it was too late now. The past was the past and you had to deal with it.

All this mess started just after the first visit of the so-called Saviors at Hilltop. Your uncle, Gregory, asked you out of the blue to come to his office. Abandoning your work at the tomato garden, you cleaned your dirty hand on your even dirtier jeans before following Brian, the men who had been send to fetch you. As soon as you went trough the door, you immediately saw that something was wrong. Gregory was sitting at his desk, nursing a glass of whiskey and vaguely looking outside the window. You knew your uncle and seeing him drink was never a good sign, especially since hell broke loose and corpses started to walk and eat the living. Your alcohol reserve was quite sparse so, he risking opening one of his beloved bottles meant that he was really troubled.

"Uncle?" you ask, pulling him out of his thoughts.

He gave you a little smile before standing up and inviting you to sit with him on the couch. He even asked you if you wanted a drink, another proof that something was definitely not right. Gregory wasn't the most caring of uncle. To be honest, not a lot of people knew you were even related. He treated you the same as everyone else. Yes, you had diner with him once a week on Sundays but he never really seemed to enjoy the little time you spent together. He never listened to what you were saying and was quick to send you on your way. You didn't really know why he was acting so cold with his last remaining family member. Maybe because you looked too much like your mother and seeing traces of his dead sister in you was too difficult for him. Anyway, the fact that he took the time to invite you on the couch and most of all, offered you a drink was beyond alarming. Just when you were about to ask him what was wrong, the office door opened again. Jesus walked in. A soon as his eyes found yours, a broad smile bended his lips.

"Hey pumpkin", he said as a salute.

You hated when Jesus called you like that. Just because you had absolutely wanted to grow some pumpkins last fall and had managed to smash the only one that had grown by falling on it. The result had been you walking back to the trailer you shared with Jesus covered from head to toe with pumpkin flesh and juice. You even had found pips in your underwear. The hysterical laugh that had followed had stayed with you ever since. And now, Jesus just liked to tease you by calling you "pumpkin". The fact that you wore an orange top today wasn't helping either.

Rolling your eyes at the nickname, you answered him by grabbing a pillow from the couch and throwing it at his face. Your friend caught it long before it hit him and without even flinching. He then winked at you.

_Bloody ninja…_

"Rose", called Gregory with the tone of an annoyed father.

Refraining yourself from rolling your eyes again, you waited until Jesus stood by your side before turning your attention back to your uncle.

"Why did you called us here?" inquired your friend.

Gregory laid his glass on the little table nearby before going straight to business.

"I guess you’ve heard about the unexpecting visit of a group that call themselves the Saviors yesterday?"

You knew about it of course. You and Jesus weren't there at the time; too busy scavenging a gas station not too far away, but everyone had told you about it the minute you had gotten back. Their leader, a man named Negan, had made some kind of proposal to Gregory and had given him a week to think about it.

"Yes, but nobody knows exactly what you two talked about", you answered.

"That's why I've ask you to come", announced your uncle.

You were surprised that of all people, he wanted to talk about it with you. It's not like you were one of his most trusted men. Even if, as the gardens supervisor, you always had had a certain influence over the way Hilltop was managed, he had never confided in you before. So, you saw this new development as an improvement. Maybe he had finally started to trust you and value your opinion. The fact that Jesus was here wasn't as surprising, because he was used to deal with people from the outside of Hilltop. Gregory obviously wanted this opinion on his encounter with the leader of the Saviors.

"Their offer was quite fair", he added. "They provide us with security and in exchange, we give them half of our crops."

Gregory affirmation was only received by silence. You shared a shocked look with Jesus.

 _Half of our crops?_ It was insane! It was true you had enough food to feed every member of your community but if you had to give _half_  of it to those men, you would soon starve. And all of this just for security? Yes, Hilltop didn't own a lot of weapons but your walls were strong. You hadn't had a roamer entering Hilltop in weeks. Most of the people here barley even remembered what the corpses looked like. You couldn't share your farm with the Saviors. It would mean the end of Hilltop.

"And you're considering this deal? You've got to be joking!" you argued.

You felt Jesus tense at your side but he remained silent. He knew better than to put himself between you and Gregory when you were in disagreement, which happened a lot.

"Rose, I don't think you understand the situation here. Those Saviors, they have guns, lots of it. I wasn't born yesterday and even if he gave the impression he was letting us consider his offer, this Negan character was very clear. I can read between the line s. I will have to agree to his proposal, or he will make me. I don't have a choice."

So he was giving up so easily? And the fact that Gregory only used the pronoun "I" pissed you off even more. What about the rest of you? Hilltop was a community, not a monarchy. He couldn't make this kind of decisions on his own just because he was afraid to deal with the consequences. God, he was so selfish!

Standing up to face him properly, you fumed: "We could fight back!"

"With what? Forks and shovels?"

"Jesus and I…"

Gregory pointed his finger at the two of you.

"You and Jesus will do nothing to endanger my deal with them. That's actually why I’ve asked you to come here."

You were so angry your whole body trembled. You couldn't believe you uncle was such a coward. It was hard to think you were related when you had absolutely nothing in common. He would bow to this Negan and agree to starve his people just to make sure nothing happened to him. Gregory loved thinking he was the boss around here and power had gotten into his head. But he couldn't control people lives like this without even asking for their opinions. A matter as important as this one should be discussed with the rest of Hilltop in a town meeting of some sort. Gregory would not get away with this. Not this time. Even if you had to go against him in front of everyone, you would fight teeth and nails to prevent him from enslaving Hilltop to another group.

But your uncle knew that a lot of people would follow you if you did rebel. That's probably why he had decided to get you out of his way for good…

At last, Jesus spoke, his blue gaze darkened by rage fixed on Gregory.

"What have you done?"

Your eyes went from your friend to your uncle for a few seconds before an alarming feeling of dread swelled inside your chest.

"I knew you would never agree to this offer and I couldn't jeopardize our future relationship with the Saviors. So, I agreed to meet Negan's men earlier than expected to sweeten the deal and prevent any further issues", explained Gregory with as sickeningly false concerned face.

"What do you mean by ' _sweeten the deal'_? You uttered between clenched teeth.

Your heart was beating like a caged bird against your ribs. You knew your life was about to be shattered but you still kept the foolish hope that your uncle would never to something so horrid… not to his own niece!

"But I offered you to them, of course" came the dreaded answer from the lips of your only living relative.

**  
**


	2. The Spy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here's the new chapter to my story. Negan dosen't appear yet but don't worry, he will be on the next one.   
> Happy reading 
> 
> ps: Comments and constructives opinions are always appreciated.
> 
> xoxo  
> Lilas

You couldn't believe what you'd just heard. Your whole body was frozen in horror and your brain seamed to have shut down. Jesus on the other hand, vibrated with a rage you'd never seen before.

"What did you just say?" he asked in a cold anger that chilled you to the bones.

Gregory stood up and faced Jesus with a proud arrogance.

"You've heard me. Rose will leave for the Sanctuary; that's what they call their home, tomorrow at sunrise. You'll accompany her to the old farmhouse down the road where some of Negan's men will meet you. She will be our Ambassador over there."

"You mean a hostage, a prisoner!" Bellowed Jesus, his eyes burning with hate and betrayal.

You saw his fists clench at his side and you wondered if he would really punch Gregory. At this more than appealing though, you woke up from your frozen shock to feel your blood burning trough your veins with a violent anger. For one second you saw red and wanted to jump forward and kick Gregory in the nuts.

As if you weren't even here, your uncle added with a little smile: "She'll make sure our deal with the Saviors is genuine. And I hear that Negan is _very_ fond of gifts".

But any violence left you suddenly to be swapped with disgust and incredulity. What Gregory implied overwhelmed you with revulsion. It hinted so many awful things that you suddenly felt sick. You knew of those men who used their power to subject people, and more often women since the beginning of the Apocalypse. Just before finding Gregory at Hilltop, you had met a man like that.

His name had been Michael and he had travelled with you and your college friend, Laura, for a few weeks. Back then, your mother, Gregory's sister, had just died and made you promise to find him. On your way, you and Laura had met Michael and his people. Believing you would be safer with a group then on your own; you had agreed to join them on your way to The Barrington House in Virginia, where Gregory supposedly lived. It was far away from everything and probably safest than any other place you had visited since the rise of the dead. Anyway, one day, Michael, your group leader, had force himself on Laura. You dear friend had tried to fight him off and had died as an aftermath. Witnessing the end of the assault, you had lost your innocence when you had killed him on the stop. Then, you had stabbed Laura in the head and buried her before running far away from Michael's group. They had found you eventually and it had been how you had met Jesus… but this was not the time for reminiscence. You had more pressing things to do, like ripping your uncle eyes out!

"What the fuck does that mean?" You yelled. "Are you really going to whore me around like this? I'm your fucking niece for christsake!"

"Don't be crude. It's because you're my niece that they agreed to go easy on us. I give them something of value and in exchange, they will be nice to us. I'm not a monster. You going there will unsure our people survival."

This time, you had to take Jesus arm to prevent him from punching the hell out of Gregory. This was between you and him and as much as you loved the way your best friend always jumped to your rescue, you needed to deal with this on your own.

Literally shimmering with hatred, you put yourself in your uncle personal space and fixed him unblinkingly. He must have seen the burning fire in your eyes because he suddenly seemed far less self confident.

"Don't you dare using our people as an excuse!" You started, "I bet you're very proud of yourself knowing that you've finally found a way to get rid of me. Admit it! You're afraid of me and the influence I have on our people. When they'll hear…"

But Jesus, laying a gentle hand on your shoulder, predicted:

"They won't, won't they? That's why you're asking me to bring Rose outside of Hilltop, because you don't want people to know what you've done to her."

A spark of satisfaction gleamed in your uncle face at Jesus words. Your friend had guessed right. It was like a rock had fallen on your stomach. Your emotions were all over the place. You wanted to cry, scream and hurl at the same time. If you had had your throwing knifes on you, Gregory would have been dead, one of them stuck in his left eye.

"And they will never know", he taunted. "The official story will be that Rose chose to be our Ambassador at the Sanctuary and you'll make sure they believe it."

The nerve of this guy!

"Are you fucking blackmailing us? What in the fucking name of God made you think we would agree to such a despicable thing? "

You knew you were really on the edge of breaking point now. You only used a shitload of "fuck" when you were beyond angry.

Gregory took a step towards you, nearly walking on your toes. You backed out just an inch, your back hurting Jesus torso. But he didn't move and you were grateful. He was your rock at this moment and you needed to anchor yourself to him. Especially when your uncle threatened:

"Because if you don't, Negan will come back and we'll all pay for your selfishness. If he doesn't have you, he'll probably pick someone else… maybe a married woman or even a mother, tearing a family apart. And it'll all be your fault."

You couldn't believe it. You had always known Gregory was an asshole, but he had never been so cruel before. Why did he hate you so much?

Because he had you cornered. He was well aware of the fact that you would do anything to keep the people of Hilltop safe. You always had been the first one to put yourself at risk to protect the community. He knew you were doomed to accept. You had no other choice.

But Jesus wasn't about to let this blackmail slide.

"I won't keep silent", he swore. "I'll fight you with every breath I take…"

"If you do, nothing would keep me from telling the Saviors that Rose is quite rebellious and needs a rough hand."

This time, you couldn't control yourself. Your fist flew right in Gregory's nose. With a joyous satisfaction, you felt bones crack against your fingers.

"You're despicable!"

His nose bleeding profusely, your uncle looked at you as if you were the one to blame for this entire situation. Pointing his finger at the door with the hand that wasn't trying to stop the flow of blood, he roared:

"Out of my way now, I've some business to attend to. And don't forget. Tomorrow. Say your goodbyes and remember the consequences if one of you try to disobey me."

You felt spent, as if you had run miles and miles without catching your breath. Jesus almost had to carry you out of the door. You must have blacked out because when you managed to escape the blur of your devastating thoughts, Jesus and you were back in your trailer.

You were sitting on your bed, your friend shaking you gently and calling your name. Turning your head to look at him, you only realized that you were crying when Jesus brushed your cheek with his thumb to wipe your tears. You had the awful feeling your whole world had been turned upside down. You didn't know what to think or do. You were trapped. You couldn't even escape or rebelled because someone else would have to pay the price.

"We could kill him", suggested Jesus, making you smile a little.

It was very tempting, but you couldn't. You were afraid of the consequences with those Saviors.

"I'm scared", you admitted.

Jesus put his arms around you in a tight hug. Burying your head on his shoulder, you mumbled:

"One the bright side, I'll stop complaining about our boring routine. I bet I'll be pretty busy 'ambassading' over there. And I won't have to deal with Gregory anymore. But I'll miss you like crazy".

"Don't speak as if you'll never come back. We'll find a way out of this, I promise". It was wishful thinking, but you were grateful nonetheless. Jesus pressed his lips on your forehead and you closed your eyes form a moment, enjoying the heat of his body, his smell, his friendship… Who knew when you'll see each other again after tomorrow?

You stayed intertwined for a long time before you stood up and decided to stop moping around. You were about to be snatch form your home, you didn't know what nightmare would be waiting for you at the Sanctuary, but sulking wouldn't change your situation. Screaming or fighting would be useless as well. So you decided to busy yourself packing your meager belongings to prevent you from thinking too much. Jesus helped you searching for your things in the mess that was your trailer. Most of your clothes were scattered around the room. You had never been very organized but since you and Jesus had started living together, it was even worse. You seemed to bring out the carless side in each other. He even found one of your bra under his bed. When all of your stuff was packed in a duffle bag, you decided to clean your beloved throwing knifes. Sitting across from you on his bed, Jesus lifted an eyebrow at you.

"I'm not sure you'll be able to bring them with you. Usually, prisoners aren't allowed to carry weapons."

"The fucker who will tear me away from my babies is not born", you answered with a vengeance.

You mother had always insisted on you taking self defense classes even before hell had broken lose. So you had decided to take krav-maga lessons and your instructor had also taught you how to throw knives. You soon had become addicted to this sport. You had been a pretty good shot back then but know, with practice and the help of Jesus; who you suspected to be a ninja, you had become very good at this. You hated guns, so they had been your weapon of choice early in the apocalypse. Those three throwing knives were the last Christmas gift your mother had given you. So you refused to be apart from them.

"I've never seen someone so attached to their weapons", laughed Jesus.

"There is nothing wrong with taking care of your weapons. It's safer".

While talking, you put down the old rag you used to clean the blades and started to sharpen them with a special tool you had found on your last scavenging hunt.

"But you gave them names for Christsake", he pointed out.

Holding one of your knives to your chest, you took an affronted expression.

"Don't listen to him baby, he's a bloody ninja. He doesn't like any weapons but shuriken", you joked.

"My body is my weapon, pumpkin", Jesus answered with a wink.

You rolled your eyes.

"Yeah, right. You weren't so smug when I saved your ass with them last week."

You both laughed at the memory. God, you would miss this kind of easy banter so much. To be honest, you would miss everything about Jesus. His laugh, his jokes, his badassness, his voice… He was the best friend you had ever had. Your post-apocalypse life had really begun the day you had met him. It seemed such a long time ago and as the same time it felt like yesterday.

"You know pumpkin, you're calling me a ninja, but you're not so bad yourself. We could try to turn this situation to our advantage", said Jesus, dragging you out of your thoughts.

His face was serious and his frowned eyebrows made you realize he was thinking.

"What do you mean?"

Standing up, Jesus began to pace around the room, one finger caressing his bearded chin.

"You're going to live with the group that is currently threatening us. Maybe you could try to discover useful information about them. Even better, maybe you could find a weakness we could exploit."

You stared at him wide-eyed.

"You want me to become a spy?"

"Why not?"

The more you thought about it, the less crazy it sounded. You could actually try to play it nice over there. Make yourself useful, make friends and learn everything you could about the Saviors and their community. Jesus and you were resourceful and you would find a way to stay in touch. If you managed to find a weakness to free yourself and Hilltop from their clutches, it was worth the risk.

"Alright", you decided, a wicked smile on your face.

Now that you had a new purpose, your future didn't seem so gloom anymore. You would find a way to destroy those Saviors and most of all; you would make Gregory pay for what he had done to you.

"Well Pumpkin, let's turn you into a spy" announced Jesus with a newfound enthusiasm.

**  
**


	3. The Saviors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone ! Here's the 3rd chapter of this story. If everything goes according to plans, I'll update every monday. 
> 
> And then, Rose meets Negan...  
> Happy reading !
> 
> XOXO  
> Lilas12
> 
> ps: I'm still unbetated, so all mistakes are mine and if you see anything really annoying, please tell me so I can correct it.

At diner that evening, Gregory left his office to announce to everyone the details of his deal with the Saviors. Most people were shocked and a few of them even tried to object, but then he said that you would be joining Negan's group as an Ambassador. He proclaimed that you would ensure that everything would stay as peaceful and fair as possible between your two communities. The people of Hilltop trusted you, so his lie was enough to calm even the most stubborn. During his speech, you had tried to stay calm and to stop yourself from knocking over the table to strangle him. The only consolation you found in this awful evening was the sight of his bruised nose. Your smile was forced and you saw some of your friends look at you with frown eyebrows. But you kept your mouth shut, your uncle threat sill fresh in your brain. Jesus helped you through this by holding your hand under the table.

Everything would be alright… you hoped.

You barely touched your food and tried to sell Gregory's story by reassuring everyone who came to talk to you about your upcoming departure. It was hard to lie to your friends but they all seemed to believe it was your decision.

When Jesus and you entered your trailer that night, you burst into tears. You were heartbroken and all this mess had tired you out. You must really have looked awful because your friend had to put you to bed and he even tucked you in. But you couldn't sleep that night. Your dark thoughts kept you awake. You tried to guess what your new life would be like. Were the Saviors as bad as you supposed? What would this Negan do with you, his new gift? You only hoped he wouldn't try to harm you psychically because you first instinct would be to strike back and it wouldn't be good for you community. Jesus had tried to give you some advice about being a "spy" and you forced yourself to think about this instead of what could happen at the Sanctuary.

_Keep a low profile but make yourself useful._

_Make them trust you even if you have to lie and cheat to do so._

_Don't be too friendly or too hostile and always keep en eye out for the vulnerable people who could help you obtain information._

_Be ruthless and above all, don't get attached to anyone, because even if there were good people among them, they were your enemies._

Those were good advices and you spend the rest of the night repeating them until they were forged into your brain.

_God… if only you had known how easy it would be for you to bend these unbreakable rules…_

Just before sunrise, you dragged yourself out of bed to wake Jesus, but realized he was already up. Judging by the dark shadow under his eyes, you understood he had barely slept either. You looked at each other for a few seconds, both knowing it probably was the last time you would be together in this trailer. Suddenly, Jesus took a step towards you at the same time as you jumped into his arms and before you knew it, you were crying. Again.

 _God, you were such a mess!_  You always had been an emotional girl but this was getting ridiculous!

"I don't want to leave", you babbled against his neck.

"And I don't want you to leave, pumpkin", he answered with a quavering voice.

Was he crying as well?

If you had had anything to say in the matter, you would have stayed in Jesus arms for the rest of the day but you barely had two hours before your rendezvous with the Saviors. If you wanted to be on time, you had to leave as soon as possible.

When you tore yourself from Jesus embrace, you couldn't help but laugh when you saw that indeed, his eyes were wet.

"Look at us", you joked, wiping your tears with the back of your hand. "Fucking pussies!"

He replied with a kiss on your forehead then step away from you to put his scavenging clothes on. You decided to keep your black legging and opted for an oversized grey shirt. You wanted to appear as harmless as possible and just in case, not show too much cleavage. You hide your beloved knives inside your boots and took your kaki jacket. You were both ready and out of the door in just a few minutes. Jesus had your duffle bag over his shoulder, and you two slowly made your way to the front gate. But when the entrance came into view, you felt your heart swell. There were people standing next to the door, a lot of people… your people. They had come to say goodbye.

 _And here they were again, fucking tears_. You really ought to toughen up if you wanted to survive among the Saviors. But for now, you just decided to enjoy the fact that most of Hilltop had risen early to see you leave. Gregory wasn't here, obviously, but it was for the best because with your current hyper-sensitivity, you didn't know what you would have done if he had dared to show his face.

The next minutes were full of hugs, kisses and "good luck" whispered into you ears. You had the feeling someone was squeezing your heart very hard, making it difficult for you to breath.  _God you loved them so much._  You would miss Hilltop more than you ever thought. In just a few years, you had come to see this place as your home and these people as your family.

 _Damn Gregory for wrecking your life!_  You hated him so much you could have actually killed him and enjoyed every minute of it. But it was too late now. You had agreed to his deal and would go through with it. For your people. For Hilltop.

When you finally stepped out of the walls and heard the door close beside you, you had to bend over and try to get your breath back. Something very heavy was still sitting on your chest but at least, you didn't have to act confident anymore. Jesus put a hand on your back to show his support before you straighten up and softly murmured:

"Good bye Hilltop".

You knew that if you did give a last look at these walls, you would falter. So you started walking away from your home, Jesus grabbing your hand and holding it tight between his fingers.

On your way, you met a few wondering walkers but had no problem taking care of it. You and Jesus arrived at the rendezvous point just as the sun was piercing the horizon. Right on time. The Saviors weren't there yet so you sat on the old farmhouse front porch and started playing furiously with your fingers. You only realized you were doing it when Jesus put his hand of yours. He knew that meant you were really stressed. Once, when you had been lost in the wood after a pretty dangerous scavenger hunt, you had nearly sprained your middle finger doing so. But you barely had the time to thank him before a big truck came out of the wooded road to the west.

They were here.

Sharing a swift look with Jesus, you stood up, your heart beating so fast you felt dizzy. You took several deep breaths and waited for the truck to pull over. You could clearly see the driver from afar. He had dirty blond air, long enough to skim his shoulder and a pointy face with hollow cheeks. He looked like a weasel to you. They parked just before you and when the passenger door opened, you felt your whole body quiver. A tall, lean man with a salt and pepper beard, his dark hair slicked back from his face, came out of the truck. This was the kind of man who transpires trouble. He was too devilishly handsome for his own good. His hazel eyes shone with a diabolical gleam and a cheeky smile appeared on his lips when he saw you. And he had dimples…  _fucking dimples!_  He was wearing a black leather jacket over a light grey shirt and dark kaki pants. A red scarf was circling his neck and he was carrying a base ball bat trimmed with barbwire.

 _Cool choice of weapon,_  you thought.

Any other day, you would have kept your cool in front of this jaw-dropping man but with your emotions all over the place, you felt yourself profusely blush like a bloody teenager.

"Well, hello love", he said with a voice that was all gravel and honey.

_Fuck, he was hot. That was fucking unfair!_

You thankfully came back to earth when Jesus put a hand on your back and stood at your side, eyeing the man with a distrustful glare. But the stranger gaze never left yours and you had the uneasy feeling he was looking into your soul.

Someone cleared his throat and broke the deafening silence that had fallen on all of you. Breaking eye contact, Bat Man (you decided to call him that, it kind of suited him) looked at his blond haired driver (the one who had interrupted your gazing contest) before turning his attention back to Jesus and you. You only realized now that three more men had jumped off of the back of the truck and were now surrounding you.

"This Gregory fucker never told us his  _gift_  would be so fucking delicious. When he said  _an Ambassador_ , I was expecting an old bat, not a fucking princess", confided Bat Man, who seem to be the leader of this little group.

_Okay, panty-dropping gorgeous, but a total ass._

Anger burning thought your veins, you put your hands on your hips and was about to give him a piece of your mind when Jesus beat you to the punch.

"Her name is Rose; she's not some  _gift_  or  _thing_ you can push around".

 _Whoa, easy tiger!_ Jesus usually was the calm one, always tactful and trying to prevent conflict. So, his immediate dislike of this guy was really unusual.

Bat Man seemed more amused that anything else by Jesus outburst. A little whistle escaped from his lips, as if he was impressed by him. But then, he pointed his bat at your friend head.

"You, my friend, have some fucking balls. I mean, you don't even fucking know us. We could be, I don't know, bad shit crazy and you still dare to anger us to protect you little lady. Fucking fuckidy cute! Stupid, but cute".

Seeing Jesus open his mouth, probably to retaliate, you put yourself between him and the Savior.

"Stop this you two. Let's get this fucking shit over with".

Again with the "fuck". But oh boy, you were angry! Jesus was a darling but you were perfectly able to defend yourself, thank you very much. And this guy… he was all swagger and danger. You really hoped all the Saviors weren't like him because you didn't know if you would survive it.

Your intervention seemed to have calmed Jesus and surprised his opponent. Anyhow, you fixed your angry eyes on Bat Man and offered:

"Just let me say goodbye to my friend and we will be on our way".

He seemed to consider your suggestion before shrugging.

"As you fucking wish, princess. But be quick. I'm a _very_ busy man; I don't have all fucking day."

"You'll get back to Negan soon enough", you answered, rolling your eyes.

You turned your back to him and took Jesus hand to pull him a little further so you could speak privately.

You didn't see the way Bat Man looked at you or the mocking smiles on his men faces. You didn't know you had just made a huge mistake you would have to pay eventually. Because you never would have thought that Negan himself would take the time to come and fetch you. The fact that he and Bat Man could be one single person hadn't even crossed your mind. You heard them talking between themselves but didn't pay any attention to what they were saying. If you had had, everything would probably have been so different…

Unaware of the danger, you put your hands on Jesus shoulders and looked at him with a smile you hoped was reassuring.

"So, this is it", you started, a wave of sadness overwhelming your whole being. You wanted to scream and cry and run away from here but you did nothing. You stayed there, gazing into your best friend beautiful blue eyes and hoping that it wasn't the last time you would see him.

"I'll find a way to keep in touch", you promised.

Jesus smiled gloomily and coaxed you into a tight hug.

"Be careful", he whispered. "I don't like this guy at all."

"Yep, I figured".

He then took your face between his hands and dived his shining eyes into yours.

"I love you pumpkin, you know that, right?" He croaked.

A sobbing laugh escaping your lips, you couldn't help but beam at him.

"I love you too, Ninja Turtle"

Holding onto him a little bit longer, you felt his lips kiss your forehead before he let you go. Gripping his hand one last time, you then picked your duffle bag from the ground and walked back to the Saviors. Standing in front of the handsome but definitely dickish Bat Man, you held your hand and said with a strong dose of sarcasm:

"Hello, my name is Rose and it seems that I'm your prisoner."

\----------------------------

What do you think about their first encounter ? ^^


	4. The Bat Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the lack of update. But I'm back and I hope the next chapter will come to me faster than this one.  
> Anyway, happy reading ! ^^

You waited a few seconds before Bat Man smiled at you. He took your fingers in his gloved ones but, instead of shaking your hand, he brought it to his face to press his lips on the back of your palm. The feeling of this mouth on your skin and the positively devilish gaze he bestowed on you behind his long lashed send an ardent jolt through your whole body. Ripping your fingers from his, as if they had burned you, you kept what you hoped to be a cold smile on your face.

"Fucking charmed to meet you, sweetlips", he answered with that gravelly voice, which should be illegal, by the way.

You could feel Jesus watching your interaction and it helped you stand your ground. Someone so dickish shouldn't have the right to be so handsome. Now that your emotions were more in check, you managed not to blush and crossed your arms in a defensive posture instead. You put your earlier crazy reactions on your current hypersensitivity at the fact that your whole life was about to be turned upside down. Because you were not a babbling teenager anymore. When hell had broken loose, this had harden you and you were not the kind of foolish girl who could be deceived by a pretty face, or a raspy voice, or burning hazel eyes… or fucking dimples!

_Get over yourself for Christsake! He's the enemy! I know it's been far too long, but don't let your pelvic floor outshine your brain!_

Building back the barriers you had put around your emotions early in the apocalypse, but had come crumbling down since you'd met Jesus and the people of Hilltop, you said with a mocking voice:

"Let's go then, I wouldn't want to keep you away from your  _very busy_  schedule any longer".

Any humor leaving his face, Bat Man took a threatening step towards you.

"You've got a bad little mouth, princess. Do you even fucking know what I usually do to people who dare to speak to me like this?"

His hazel gaze was now darker than the night sky and he was leaking out a commanding glow that rooted you to the spot. You remembered Jesus advices:  _Keep a low profile… Don't be hostile…_ It was harder than expecting. Something in this man was bringing out your reckless side. You had never felt this amount of attraction and distain at the same time before. And certainly not this quickly. You only had met him for five minutes and you already wanted to smack him… or kiss him. You didn't know. Your emotional barrier must have been malfunctioning after all this time because it was really unlike you. Yes, your life had always been ruled by emotions but usually, you were good at keeping them at bay. You had to calm down and be extra careful around this guy because you guessed he was not the kind of man to be trifled with. It was no use to antagonize the Saviors even before setting foot in the Sanctuary and meeting the infamous Negan.

So, buckling your temper deep inside your chest, you forced yourself to lower your eyes and act contrite.

"Sorry, sir."

Your reaction made him laugh, enraging you even more.

"Well fuck! If this is what it fucking takes for you to call me ' _sir'_ , I'll definitely roughen you up a little more in the future, princess."

At his words, you heard Jesus run in your direction. But he was stopped mid track when Bat Man held his weapon just above your shoulder.

"Not another step, lover boy. Your sweet little Rose is ours now. Business is fucking over. You've said your goodfucking bye. Go now and thank Gregory for his very  _generous_  gift."

You shared one last look with Jesus before watching him walk away. You saw the anger and the sadness in his blue orbs and you knew yours reflected the same emotions. Misery crushing your heart, you closed your eyelids for a few seconds to prevent you from shedding a tear. When you opened them again, Jesus was gone, disappeared among the trees. Turning around to face Bat Man again, you asked:

"Can we go now, please?"

He looked at you from head to toe, making you feel very self-conscious. You congratulated yourself for choosing to wear your ugliest and biggest shirt because you felt naked under his scrutiny.

"Not yet", he eventually answered.

He gave a brief nod to his blond driver and another guy and they came toward you. You instantly tensed. But damn, they were fast and before you could do anything, Mister Weasel had taken your duffle bag and was rummaging through it. The other one, a Latino built like an Action-Man, secured your hands in your back. You started to panic, cold sweet running along your temple. You tried to free yourself from the oath grip but he only held you tighter, hurting your wrists.

"Don't you fucking hurt the merchandise", intervened Bat Man. "Negan fucking put me in charge of this operation and I plan on doing things right."

If you hadn't been glued to Action-Man, you probably would have done a dumb thing, like introducing your knee to his genitals for calling you  _merchandise._  Your anger must have been obvious because he took a step towards you and whispered:

"Don't worry love, we won't fucking hurt you. We just want to make sure you didn't hide any fucking weapons. We need to trust each other from now on and it would be a fucking shame if you decided to ice one of us at the first chance you've got. Your little Hilltop would have to pay for your fucking dumbass mistake and we don't want that, do we? So you see, we rather take fucking precautions to prevent any further issues. Just be aware that if you fucking try anything, we will kill you without any hesitation. But it would be a fucking shame. Frist of all, because I really don't enjoy killing women, and finally because Negan  _really_ wants to meet you."

You felt a frozen chill run through your body at his last words. What did Negan was planning on doing to you?

Mister Weasel lifted his head from your stuff and shook his head.

"Nothing boss".

Bat Man ran a hand trough his salt and pepper beard with a contemplative look.

"She's a little firecracker, she must have a fucking weapon".

At his words, you planted your feet on the ground as if in doing so, you could hide the throwing knives currently hidden in your boots. But he must have read something in your defiant eyes because a broad smile enlightened his face. Action-Man started to let go of your wrists to put his hands on your shoulders, intending to search you, when his boss stopped him.

"Let me do it Ramirez, I want to be sure she's  _thoroughly_  searched".

Oh God, his voice and eyes when he said that… it was like he was a hungry wolf and you were his pray. When he took another step towards you, encroaching on your personal space, you couldn't help but gulp and hold your breath. Once again and at your own dismay, your heart stepped up like crazy.  _What was it with this guy?_

His hazel eyes fixed on you; he dropped his baseball bat against his leg to free both his hands and held them just above your shoulders.

"I won't hurt you, princess", he promised with an earnest voice.

All humor and teasing had left his face to be swapped with an intense look. More than his usual swagger, his sudden honesty made something flutter in your chest. You didn't know why, but you knew he was telling the truth. He waited until you nodded before laying his hands on your neck. A deep shiver ran along your back, but it had nothing to do with the cold sweat that had taken you when Action-Man, Ramirez, had touched you. It was hot and breathtaking, but not in a totally bad way. Lost in his eyes, you could feel his fingers skim across your collar, barely touching your skin. He then removed your kaki jacket with one swift movement that spoke of experience. His eyes left yours to wander across your upper body, looking for any sign of a weapon. Frowning his eyebrow as if something was bothering him, a little laugh escaped his mouth.

"This is a fucking uglyass shirt. Can't see anything through this. You could be hiding a fucking rocket launcher underneath that shit, nobody would even fucking notice", he joked.

A hysterical laugh bubbled in your throat, but you managed to hide it. It was kind of the whole point actually. As if trying to figure out how to check under your shirt without manhandling you, he spat:

"Can you at least lift the fucking hem and turn around?"

You rolled your eyes, buy complied. Showing just a sliver of your stomach, you slowly turned around so he could check that you wore nothing at your belt. While doing so, you couldn't help but wonder why he was so…respectful of your intimacy. Coming from a guy like him, vulgar and arrogant, you would have though he would have jumped at the occasion to grope you. But his hands had barely touched you. You could still feel the pad of his fingers skimming your collarbone and this memory only made you shiver. This man was far more complex than what he was displaying. When you faced him again, he had that seductive smile back on his face.

"Enjoying the view", you asked with a crass tone.

"Can you fucking blame me?" Came his witty response.

Again, you felt a little laugh threatening to escape your mouth. It  _really_  was not the time to feel so giddy.  _What the fuck was wrong with you? This guy had just ripped you away from your family, you couldn't in your right mind, laugh at his flirtation!_

He was standing so close to you, he must have sensed you body relax a bit because it seemed that his gaze soften. It would probably have been unnoticeable if you weren't standing only inches from him.

_Fuck, he was even more gorgeous now._

Suddenly, he dropped on his knee, his eyes never leaving yours and all your blood went south with him. Something deliciously painful began throbbing in your lower belly and catching your breath was all of a sudden much more difficult. You finally understood what he was doing when his fingers caught your left calf before slowly heading down your leg. Your knees felt weak and you nearly forgot that you were indeed hiding weapons in your boot. Your brain had short-circuited and you didn't even remember where you were or why. All that mattered was this man, his eyes piercing yours, his hands stroking your ankle in a strangely erotic way. Who knew ankles could be so sensitive?

You jumped back when his gloved hands touched the naked skin just above your sock. His grip tightened and a surprised smile stretched out his lips.

_Fuck_ , you thought.  _You were so screwed!_

"What do we have here…" He got one of your throwing knives out of your boot and held it between two fingers.

"Don't touch Meeny!" you barked.

Before you could bend over to try to retrieve your baby from his leather clutches, Ramirez was back behind you, pining you against his large chest. The crouched man collected your two other knives from your shoes before standing up.

"Meeny?" he asked, genuinely curious. He looked at your babies and saw that the handles were engraved.

"Meeny, Miny, Moe", he read. His face remained closed off for a few seconds, which seemed to last hours, before he threw his head back to burst into laughter.

_What the hell?_

You had expecting everything but this reaction. You had thought he would be angry and threaten your life, but no. He was laughing so hard his eyes began to water. Sharing an alarmed look with Mister Weasel, you realized you were not the only one taken aback by his reaction. The two other guys you barely had noticed before, a little bald man and a black buy with too many tattoos were also watching the scene with goggled eyes. He finally calmed down but was still smiling broadly. Picking his baseball bat from the ground, he presented it to you as if it was a precious artwork.

"Meet Lucille", he explained with a sort of contagious ecstatic glee.

"Shut the fuck up! I though I was the only one crazy enough to name my weapons. She's beautiful!" You marveled.

You two of you came down from whatever  _weapon fantasyland_  you were riding when Ramirez cleared his throat. Bat Man face sobered up and darkened immediately. As if remembering why he was here, he swung Lucille on his shoulder and put Meeny, Miny and Moe around his belt. You wanted to argue but knew it was stupid of you. You were his prisoner, so of course he wouldn't let you carry deadly weapons.

"Put her in the back. Ramirez and Dwight, stay with her and make sure she fucking stay put. Alex and Monroe you come with me. We'll make sure none of her little friend is around hiding in the fucking woods before leaving", he ordered, turning back into this arrogant asshat you wanted to punch so much.

His men obeyed as one. He must really be important in the Sanctuary to inspire such obedience. Maybe he was even Negan's right man…

Before you let yourself be dragged in the back of the truck, you asked him:

"Hey, Bat Man! What's your name?"

A sly grin on this face, as if he had eaten the Cheshire cat, he answered:

"Bruce. I'm Bruce."

You didn't know if he was bullshiting you or not, but you smiled nonetheless.

"So you really are Batman."

You could still hear his laugh when he disappeared among the trees.

\---------------------------------------

Your thoughts ?


	5. The Name Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here is a new chapter! Hope you'll like it!
> 
> XOXO
> 
> Lilas

**Chapter 5: The Name Game**

 

Ramirez and Mister Weasel, who was actually named Dwight, brought you to the back of the truck, each of them pointing their gun at you. You discovered that it was nearly empty except for two benches along the sides. Four bags were hidden underneath (certainly their belongings) and Dwight added yours to the pile.

"Sit", he ordered.

You obeyed, but in your own terms. Instead of sitting inside, you leant against the edge of the truck. Crossing your arms and legs in what you hoped to be a relaxed posture, you asked:

"So… how long will it take for us to get back to your HQ? The Sanctuary, isn't it?"

Ramirez, who seemed a lot less stressed than Dwight, put his guns back on his holster and sat beside you. He had a cute smile but there was something in his eyes, like a cold reptilian gleam, that made you feel nervous. And he was standing far too close to you. You tried to shift away a little but Ramirez put one of his arms around your shoulders, causing a frozen shudder to run through your whole body. His hand brushed your right boob and you gave an instinctive jerk.

"Yes, the Sanctuary. It's a great place, you'll see. And I'm sure you'll fit right in. If you want someone to show you around, I'll be more than happy to do it."

He was trying to be flirty, but with him, it was everything but charming. And you were completely repelled by the way his vicious eyes were looking at you. It was disturbing and you felt wildly uneasy.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. And you haven't answered my question by the way".

While talking, you budged his arm away from your shoulder and strengthen up. A little scowl marred his altogether quite pretty face. You wanted to take a step away from him but he caught your wrist and pulled you back to him. A prickle of dread tingling down your spine, he hissed in your ear:

"It's not polite to deny such a nice offer from someone who could really improve your current situation."

"Ramirez!" called Dwight. "Leave the girl alone, will you?"

His dark eyes drilled into yours, his jaw tensing before he let go of your arm in a dejected way. You knew you had to play nice, but you were feeling the strong urge to hit him in the groin. You finally chose to turn away from him and face Dwight.

"We will be back at the Sanctuary in a couple of days. We still have to visit one of our outposts on the way. We shouldn't have been back to your community before next week but it seems your leader was _very_  eager to get rid of you." Finally answered Ramirez.

Bitterness boiling in your stomach, your gripped your fists and took a deep breath to prevent you from becoming violent. Will you really have to bear spending several days traveling in a bloody truck with this guy?

 _God have mercy_ , you were not sure you could handle it without breaking his nose…

"Shut it, Ramirez!" Cursed once again Dwight.

Mister Weasel was not so bad after all. He seemed at least perceptive and human enough to act on your behalf. You thanked him with a little smile and sat back on the edge of the truck, but as far away from Ramirez as possible.

A few minutes passed in silence before Bat man (yes, you still calmed him like this in your head because you were sure his name was not  _Bruce_ ) and the two others got back. He must have sensed the stiffness in the air because he quirked an eyebrow and said:

"Damn! It's fucking warmer in a cemetery!"

You glared at him.

"Don't look at me like I've killed your fucking puppy, princess", he asserted, raising this hands in a sign of peace.

"Ramirez was just in usual charming ass", answered Dwight before walking to the front of the truck.

Laughing, Bat Man pointed Lucille at the Latino Asshole and decided with a wide grin:

"Be fucking nice to the lady. She's not a prisoner; she's a fucking Ambassador, a princess taken by the Big Bad Wolf. To make up for your rudeness, you'll be the next on driving duty."

You knew he was making fun of you, but you were more than happy to let it slide if that meant Ramirez would be out of your sight. He obeyed, not without casting a mean look towards you, and took place next to Dwight.

"Alex, Monroe, you know what to do. We'll catch up with you back there", Bat Man said to his last men. The two of them shouldered their machine guns and walked back to the woods.

"Where are they going?" You asked, afraid they were heading to Hilltop.

"Don't worry love, your little community is safe… for now", he teased. "Hop in, now. Let's leave this fucking dump".

You sat on the opposite side of him on one of the bench and couldn't help but throw one last look at the old farmhouse when the truck started. You hoped that one day; you'll be able to see it again… But your attention quickly drifted back to him when Bat Man started whistling, Lucille dandling between his parted legs.

"So, _dear_  princess, excited about your new Ambassador position?" he started, still smiling as if he was enjoying the situation far too much.

Diving your gaze into his, you countered:

"Cut the crap, we both know I'm nothing more then a prisoner, a pawn in Negan's and my uncle's game of chess".

His hazel eyes sparkled as his tongue came out, skimming his upper lips. He had to stop looking at you like he was a starving man and you were candy. You once again felt something liquefy in your lower belly.

_This guy was sex on a stick._

"Do you like games, love?" He half-whispered with that gravely voice of his.

Pressing your legs together to extinguish the little meltdown that was happening down there, you decided to avoid looking at him. It was safer. Turning your head to watch the road, you also crossed your arms on your chest before answering:

"Not really, no."

You stayed silent for a moment and thought he had gotten the message from your closed off demeanor. But you should have known better…

"What about the 20 questions game?" he suggested.

Without your accord, your eyes went back to him. He must have been joking… but no, he seemed very serious.

"The 20 questions game?" You asked in a sarcastic tone.

He lifted an eyebrow as if you were stupid.

"Don't you fucking know it?"

"Of course I know it!" You retorted, pissed off.

"So, do you want to play?" He asked, a new smile outlining the corner of his mouth.

"With you?"

"I don't fucking see anyone else here, princess."

Frowning, you stared at him, really hard, trying to see if he was making fun of you or not. When you found nothing but what seemed to be frank curiosity on his handsome face, you leaned forward in your tights and pointed a finger at him.

"Only if you promise me you won't lie or try to bullshit me like with your name; which I don't believe for a second is Bruce, by the way."

"What's wrong with my fucking name?" He argued, straightening up and spreading his arms as if he was affronted.

"You just don't look like a  _Bruce_  to me." You shrugged.

"What the fuck does that mean? What does a  _Bruce_ should look like then?"

This was good. Easy banter was a great thing and it seemed to come naturally between you two. If you could take advantage of this few days before you reached the Sanctuary to try and make " _friends_ " with this guy, maybe your mission would get easier. He seemed like an important enough member of the Saviors, so if you could at least make yourself useful to him, it was a good start.

"I don't know!" You explained with a small thoughtful smile. It reminded you of the endless and ridiculous conversations you used to have with your college friends. "A  _Bruce_  is a good guy, nice, clever and selfless. Like Bruce Wayne or Bruce Banner. Two awesome superheroes were named Bruce, so it must mean something."

"You're saying I couldn't be a fucking superhero?" He was looking at you as if you had suddenly grown a second head.

You thought about it, tapping two fingers against your mouth. "You could be The Hulk", you concluded. "But never Bruce Banner."

He let out a little laugh, shaking his head.

"You're fucking ridiculous, love."

You rolled your eyes at his pet name. What was it with man and stupid nicknames? You had always hated when people called you "love", "sweetlips" or any of those, especially coming from someone you barely knew.

"My name is Rose. Even if you refuse to give me your real name, you could at least stop calling me like a goddamned hooker and use my actual name."

It seemed to piss him off. He raised his bat and pointed it at you with darkening eyes and a scowl.

"Why would I call you by your name when you refuse to do the same?"

Giving him a hypocrite smile, you replied with a sweet voice:

"Because your name is _not_  Bruce. And I'm calling you Bat Man, which is supercool. You're calling me "princess", which is demeaning."

Suddenly standing up, his tall stature hovering over you in a threatening manner, he barked:

"I can call you any fucking name I want!"

Everything in him sharpened; his darkening eyes, this tensed jaw, his squared shoulder, but instead of scaring you, it made you fell wildly rebellious. Simply shrugging and crossing your arms, you turned your gaze away from him to look at the landscape instead.

"As you wish, but don't be surprised if I start calling you Douchbat from now on."

He knelt before you, inches from your parted legs and took your chin between his gloved fingers. He forced you to look at him again and what you found in his eyes took your breath away. He was pissed, nearly fuming, but not only. There was a sparkle of something deeper, darker in his gaze that you couldn't comprehend yet.

"You really are", he begun as he drew closer. "A fucking pain", he advanced between your legs. "In the ass", he finished, breaching your personal space, his chest only inches from yours.

You could see every details of his face now and you couldn't help but notice he had little sparkles of gold in his eyes, making his orbs more tawny than hazel. To be honest, there were a lot of things you found yourself unable to master. First of all, the heat of his body so close to yours made you dizzy. He smelt like leather and something spicy, incredibly manly, which was intoxicating to your senses. Your whole body was blazingly hot as a fiery pitch kindled in your lower stomach.

 _Lust._  It was pure and primal lust.

Tilting his head on one side, his smoldering gaze roamed over your face. A lascivious smile slowly stretching his lips, he let go of his bat to put his hands on the bench, on either side of your tights. His gloved fingers barely skimmed your legs but it was enough for you to instinctively tighten them around his hips. Very gently, he leant forward until his lips grazed your ear, unfolding a shiver that ran along your arched back.

"And we're gonna have to do something about that…"

He then sat back on his heels, breaking the ardent spell you were under and you felt suddenly very cold without his whole being inches from you. His amused gaze never leaving your, he reached for a radio in his back pocket.

"Dwight", he said, pressing the call button.

You heard static and then the blond driver answered:

"Yes, boss?"

"Change of plans, the fucking  _princess_ needs to be taught a little lesson."

Another shiver ran through your back, but this time, it was far less pleasant.

"We're going to the Pit?"

"Hell yeah", Bat Man confirmed. "Let's show her why we are called the Saviors."

The mad smile that was dancing on his lips made you fear the worst.

_Shit! What the fuck had you done?_

_\---------------------_

Soon...

**  
**


	6. The Pit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here's a new chapter for you my lovelies ^^
> 
> Hope you'll like it.
> 
> XOXO  
> Lilas

**Chapter 6: The Pit**

You drove for what seemed to be hours, but it may only have been a few minutes. You were so tense you completely lost track of time. The cold silence that had fallen between you and Bat Man was deafening and heavy, making you incredibly nervous. You fidgeted on your bench, glancing at this insufferable man from time to time. He seemed perfectly relaxed, slouched in his seat. He played with his bat (non pun indented) while whistling a song you knew but couldn't remember. When you started twisting your fingers with a little too much enthusiasm, making your bones crack loudly, he finally consent to grant you a glance. He said nothing, only lifted one quirked eyebrow at you before whistling once again more nosily.

_God, he was annoying!_

You had tried to ask him about this mysterious  _pit_ you were heading to, but he had refused to say anything more, pretending you were too much of a pain in the ass to deserve an answer. So now, on top of being frustrated and a little scared, his whistling was really getting on your nerves. Frantically tapping your foot, you played with your fingers even harder. Finally, your bones cracked one last time as his whistle reached a shrilling note. Glaring furiously at each other, you said in unison:

"Would you stop doing that?"

Pointing a finger at you, he squinted his eyes.

"Are you trying to break your fucking fingers?"

Your mouth formed a sarcastic smile before you answered unctuously:

"And are you trying to pierce my eardrums?"

"Watch out love, Lucille is getting  _very_  thirsty", he warned, his bat taping his palm in a threatening manner.

Once again his eyes were nearly dark, his stormy face making him even more annoyingly handsome. Shutting out the part of you (situated south) that swoon a little at the sight of his breathtaking anger, you stood up, hands on your hips and replied with a vengeance:

"Give me back my knives and I take you on, anytime."

He was about to yell something back when the truck abruptly stopped, making you lose your balance. You fell forward, letting out a disgraceful little cry and reached out to grab the first thing you found to prevent your fall. The thing in question turned out to be Bat Man, or more precisely, his neck. As a reflex, he certainly had tried to catch you before your nose would meet the bench and stood up just as you fell. As an unexpected result, you were now hung around his neck, his arms holding your hips in a tight grip and your faces only inches apart.

You stayed like this, wide eyed, inebriated by his amazing smell, captivated by the sparkles of gold in his eyes, glued to his muscled chest… You could feel each of his fingers, hooked to your hips in a bruising hold, tightened as he crushed your pelvis together. A heat wave pooled between your thighs and you let out a little gasp when you felt something hard against your stomach. The smile that bloomed on his face was literally devilish. It took your already labored breath away.

_Good God, this guy was going to be the death of you…_

You were about to just say "fuck it" and lift your head just to check if his lips were as soft as they looked, when the driver door slammed and brought you back to earth. Blushing from head to toe, you gave him a little push on the chest and he let you go, quite reluctantly, judging by his frowned face. You sat back, your wobbly legs unable to carry you for the time being and watched him jump out of the truck as if nothing had happened. He had resumed his whistling.

"We're here, boss", said Ramirez.

"I can fucking see that!" Bat Man lashed out.

Okay… maybe not as cool and composed as he wanted you to think after the…  _interruption._

"Come out little princess, come out and see", he said in a sing song voice that made you roll your eyes.

But you complied and joined them out of the truck. What you discovered left you dumbfounded. You were on the edge of a gigantic quarry, build on the side of a ravine. But instead of being full of rocks, the bottom was crawling with walkers. Hundreds and hundreds of them. The rotting smell was sickening and the noise of their lifeless moans made your whole being shiver. Since the beginning of the apocalypse, you had never seen so many walkers at once. The entrance of the quarry, several feet under you, was closed by two big trucks parked one after the other. You watched the living corpses as they roam aimlessly in front of you, their hanging flesh and naked bones held by shreds of clothes. This was one of the saddest and the most upsetting thing you had ever seen.

"What are they all doing here?" you asked in a voice you barely recognized.

Bat Man was looking at you, taken aback. He truly seemed surprised by your reaction. Perhaps he had expected cries, screams of fear, horror. Everything, but the utmost sorrow you felt watching all of these walkers gather in front of you. Years back, when the outbreak had taken place, you had felt fear and revulsion toward them. They had killed your mother, eaten her flesh… But now, you only saw them as soulless being, roaming the earth aimlessly. They were not mean or vicious or deceitful. They were just dead, dumb and helpless. You didn't enjoy killing them; you just had to, to survive. Plunging your knives thought their skull was an act of mercy to you. You were freeing them, as you wished someone would free you if one day you became a walker.

"They are our insurance policy", finally answered Ramirez, coming to stand to your right.

Once again, you felt a quiver of distrust prickling your back at his proximity.

"Insurance policy?" You inquired with contempt. "What for?"

"To keep everybody in line of course! When we make a deal with a new group and they don't want to play nice, we kill a few of them to set an example or, we bring some of them here to see the  _Pit_. It belongs to us. And it's a wonderful bargaining ship. If anyone tries to rebel against us, we show them we actually are  _Saviors_." The Latino Action-Man smiled at you, as if he was very proud to explain all of this. "We  _save_ them from those fuckers.  _Save_  them from having to fight them off all at once. Because nothing stops us from freeing them all and leading the herd anywhere we want… like Hilltop, for example."

You froze in horror, understanding the threat. You would have to play nice, or your people would have to pay the price with their lives. They used those poor soulless creatures to scare people, to subdue others to them. But the walkers weren't the real monsters, it was men like these Saviors that destroyed what little humanity lingered in the world.

You saw something move next to you, on your left. It was Bat Man. Lucille lying on this shoulder; he was gazing into the quarry with a thoughtful expression. Instinctively, you shifted a little closer to him and away from Ramirez. The Latino must have sense it because he tossed you a mean glance. You decided to ignore him.

"You see now, why we are called the Saviors? We are maybe using cheap tricks like this to keep peace but at least, it's effective. We bring back civilization and as long as everybody know their place and play their role, we  _do_ keep them safe. We are the Goddamn heroes of this world. Do you understand, princess?" Bat Man asked in a slow voice.

You nodded because you knew that if you opened your mouth, you would say something you would regret. You had to play along if you wanted to help Hilltop.  _The Pit_  had made its impression on you.

The sun was beginning to set when suddenly, your stomach growled loudly. You only realized now that you hadn't eaten all day long and that you were starving.

"Come on, princess", he laughed. "Let's feed you before you once again swoon in my fucking arms."

You understood that as long as you would respect the fact he was the boss around here, the easy banter between you would resume. You had to admit that you much rather have to deal with the boisterous, easy side of his personality than the dark and dangerous man you knew he was hiding behind his white smile. And the fact that you found him incredibly charming despite his dickish side bothered you… a lot.

"Yeah, keep dreaming dude", you answered, rolling your eyes at him.

You heard Dwight and Ramirez busing themselves inside the truck, leaving you and Bat Man alone in the growing darkness. Turning around so he could face you properly, he titled his head on the side and looked at you, from your chin to your tied up hair. When his gaze lingered a few seconds at your mouth, you felt your lips twitch and warm up, as if the gold hidden in his eyes had lit a fire beneath your flesh.

"You'll have to stop doing that", he finally said, his voice once again all gravel and honey.

"What?" You all but whispered, finding suddenly quite difficult to focus on even the simplest thing, like breathing.

"When you're rolling your eyes like that, it's making me fucking hungry", he gritted between his teeth, making it difficult for you to understand his last word.

"An…gry? Or hun…gry?" You stammered, frowning.

He took a step towards you, making you raise your head to keep looking into his eyes.

_God, he was tall._

"Trust me, love. You don't want to know…"

On this enigmatic answer, he left you there, joining the others by the truck. You watched him go over your shoulder, once again trying to master the crazed beating of your heart. You really needed to control your body reactions when you were around this man or you would soon find yourself in a very perilous situation. Something inside of you whispered that it wouldn't be that easy, that it was probably already too late, but you shut it down and put up a front.

You could do it… You  _would_ do it!

The Saviors decided to camp here for the night. After a meager supper made of an old can of cold beans, Dwight and you climbed into the truck to rest. You were exhausted by your sleepless night and your day of emotional anguish, so, despite your untrusting surroundings, you fell asleep the moment your head touched your duffle bag. You didn't know for how long you were out, but you woke up in a start in the middle of the night.

First, you panicked, not remembering where you were. Then, you nearly called out for Jesus but a load snoring stopped you. Jesus didn't snore. Finally, you recalled what had happened the day before. A single tear escaping your eyes, you forced yourself to calm down and study your surroundings. It was still dark but the full moon allowed you to see clearly enough. Dwight was still dead to the world on your left, his mouth half open, a wheezing noise coming out of his nose. Bat Man was there too, lying on the bench just above you. His back was turned so you couldn't see his face but his relaxed breathing meant he was sleeping soundly. Ramirez was however nowhere to be seen. He was probably on guard duty. Knowing you wouldn't fell asleep again with Mister Weasel snoring, you slowly stood up to get out of the truck without making a noise. You immediately spotted Ramirez. He was standing at the edge of the quarry and was smoking a cigarette. You could see the glowing amber in the darkness.

"I hope you ain't trying to escape", he said as you stepped away from the truck.

"No", you simply answered.

It was the truth. Escaping was the last thing on your mind. It would be a dumb mistake and you knew it. It would engender Hilltop and you still had a mission to accomplish. Ramirez seemed to like you (a little too much to your liking) but maybe you could act nice and try to obtain some information from him. Walking toward the quarry, you stood beside him and the two of you watched the moving _Pit_  full of walkers for a moment. You hadn't seen it before, but there was a little ridge just beneath you, a few feet down and out of the corpses reach. In the darkness, the quarry full of white and grey rocks shone among the dead like a morbid star.

"Do you smoke?" Asked Ramirez, holding a cigarette out.

Not really, you used too, a little, before all this. But you took it anyway, as a sign of good faith. He lit it for you and you smoked in silence for a few minutes. A gust of wind collided with you and you shivered, closing your arms around yourself to keep the cold away. It was a chilly night and you had forgotten your jacket inside the truck.

"You know, if you're cold, I could warm you up", noticed Ramirez.

It could have been a nice offer, if he had given you his jacket of something. But instead, he put one of his arms around your shoulders and crushed you against his side. You pulled away from him with a shudder of disgust.

"I can take care of myself, thanks", you snapped.

This had been a bad idea. There was something you really found unnerving in Ramirez. He was pushy and had a mean look in his eyes. He reminded you of Michael… Just as you thought about the fucker and what he had done to your departed friend, the Latino Action-Man took you by the wrist and forced you to face him. His grip was iron and his gaze hard as steel.

"Or maybe you wish  _someone else_  would take care of you", spat Ramirez, something looking a lot like resentment burning in his squinted eyes.

Your heart beating frenetically against your ribcage, you blurted out:

"What do you mean?"

"Oh please, I'm not blind; I've seen the way you look at the boss. He's like this with every girl, you know, charming and all. But he's far more than you can chew, trust me. He's the Big Bad Wolf and you're too much of a princess for him, too vanilla. You'll bore him to death in a week. I, on the other hand, I love  _vanilla_ …" As he talked, his free hand snaked around your hip before going down your lower back, to finally grab your ass.

Total panic overwhelming you while he was whispering sickeningly into your ear, he nearly lapped his last word against your lobe. Your fighting instinct took over and your body acted before you could understand what you were doing. Using your fist, you punched him in the throat. Letting you go in an instant, he doubled over, his hands around his neck. You used his sudden surprise to kick him in the stomach and then in the nuts. He fell on his knees, unable to make a sound because of his bruised larynx.

Standing over him, still trembling with anger, you threatened:

"Stay away from me. If you touch me again, I'll kill you."

In your blind anger, you must have stood too close to the edge of the _Pit_  because one second, you were lifting your head to see Bat Man and Dwight jumping out of the truck; and the next, the ground collapsed under your feet. Your knees hit the rocky side of the quarry as you hang on the crumbling edge, your upper body on solid ground and your legs and lower chest dandling into thin air. Your clammy hands were slipping, fast. A second before you toppled backward in the emptiness of the  _Pit,_ Bat Man fell flat on his front in the dusty ground and caught your arm. But you barely had the time to take a breath before your combined weight made the portion of the edge that was supporting both of you crumble. And then, you and Bat Man fell.

_____________________________________

Your thoughts? ^^

**  
**


	7. The Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, I know I promised you a new chapter sooner but I've been pretty busy lately. But I've nearly finished the next one so it won't take that long for me to post it.
> 
> Thank you for your patience and enjoy this new chapter ^^  
> Happy reading!

**Chapter 7: The Fall**

 

Your fall was shorter than you expected and cushioned by something soft that let out a huffing sound when you finally touched the ground. You were a little stunned after the dizzying drop, but your survival instinct immediately kicked in. You had just tumbled down in a pit full of walkers… but when you lifted your head from your cushion, you were overwhelmed by a feeling of vertigo. Beneath you, there was a sea of corpses that lifted their desiccated arms and rotten heads to try and grab you. You had not landed on the ground, but on the little ridge along the side of the quarry.

"As charming as our current position is, could you please stop crushing my fucking balls, love?" Grumbled your living cushion.

Straightening up a little, you realized your fall had been soften by Bat Man. He was lying under you, his arms tightened around your hips and his hands resting on your lower back. You had landed on top of him, your face tucked against his shoulder and your right knee unfortunately pressed against his groin.

"Sorry", you mumbled, still a little shaken by the fall.

With caution, you both untangled yourself from each other and sat against the rocky side of the ridge. It was so small you had to nearly settle down on his lap, your calves dangling into thin air. In front of you, the sun was slowly coming up. You glanced at Bat Man and tried to understand why he was down here with you. You just couldn't understand why he had jumped to your rescue like this. While you were staring at this proud profile, you saw that his temple was bleeding.

"You're hurt!" You cried out, reaching out to gently grasp the side of his face.

You expected him to throw you off put he let you examine his wound, one of your hand under his bearded chin and the other just above his ear. You couldn't help but notice that his hairs were surprisingly soft.

"It just a graze", you sigh in relief.

But, why you were so relieved that he was alright was beyond you. Maybe because he had just jumped to your rescue like a caped hero… You would have to rethink your affirmation about him never being a superhero.

"Maybe you could still kiss it better", he drawled, winking at you with a sly smile.

Releasing his face with an incredulous huff, you argued:

"Do you really think it's the time to make silly jokes?"

"There no bad time to make fucking jokes, princess", he replied matter-of-factly.

You rolled your eyes at him,  _again_ , and his gaze darkened instantly.

_Oops…_  You gulped.

But before he could say or do anything, you heard Dwight call:

"Boss? Boss? Are you okay?"

"Fucking peachy you fucking fuck! Stop asking stupid as fuck questions and find us a fucking rope", Bat Man barked.

Looking up, you saw the shadows of Dwight and Ramirez disappear to go fetch something to help them climb up. The rocky side of the  _Pit_ was bumpy but you couldn't hike with your bare hands. It was too risky. If you tumbled down again, you wouldn't be lucky enough to have another ridge breaking your fall. When you brought your attention back to Bat Man, he was staring at you with curious eyes.

"What the fuck happened earlier?" He asked, his voice bubbling with barely controlled anger.

You were not the tattle-tale type. Bitching about Ramirez behavior wouldn't change a thing anyway. What was done was done. You would be careful with him in the future, but you could protect yourself, Action-Man bruised throat and genitals were a living proof of that.

"Ramirez and I had a little disagreement. But it's settled now", you replied, avoiding his burning gaze.

But Bat Man was not the kind of guy to content himself with half answers. Taking your chin between his gloved fingers, he forced you to look at him. His eyes were surprisingly gentle when he inquired:

"What sort of  _little disagreement_  deserves to be settled by a fucking punch in the balls?"

It was like a rock had fallen in your stomach.  _Fuck! You were in deep shit!_

"Oh… you've seen that", you mumbled, grinding your teeth, waiting for his rage to explode.

Surely, you, a prisoner, a little nobody, would have to pay for assaulting one of Negan's men. Maybe Bat Man would beat you to a pulp with Lucille. Or worse, maybe he would take you back to Negan himself and let him decide your punishment. What would the leader of the Saviors, who seemed to love subjecting people and threatening them, would do to you for hurting Ramirez?

But what came next was so unexpecting; you stayed frozen on the spot. Bat Man growled in his beard as he probably read the fear in your eyes. But instead of slapping you or any other violent act you had anticipated, he let go of your chin to gently put your hair behind your ear. His intense gaze scanned your face, as if searching for any sign of blood or bruises. Finally, he took your left arm and thanks to the upcoming morning light, he saw the angry red marks around your wrist where Ramirez had grabbed you earlier.

"What did the fucker try to do to you?" He hissed, his jaw clenched and his eyes dark as hell.

You retrieved your injured arm and looked at him with an earnest gratitude.

"It's been taking care of", you assured.

He was still pissed, but he nodded and seemed to take your word for it. While you waited for Dwight and Ramirez, you watched Bat Man from the corner of your eyes. This man was a walking mystery. Everything he actually did was in total contradiction with the way he sometimes acted. You didn't doubt for a second that he could be violent and unyielding but there was an underlying gentleness behind his brash exterior. He was cocky, vulgar, dark and dangerous. But you had managed to catch glimpses of a totally different man hiding underneath all this apparent swagger. And you found yourself fascinated by it… by him. He had brought you here to scare you, make you fear him and the Saviors. But he had jumped into thin air to prevent your fall in a pit full of walkers. It was like he was playing at being a monster and really enjoyed it, but that when he acted on instinct or really lost control, he would reveal the man trapped inside.

It was undeniably enthralling.

A few seconds later, a thick rope appeared in front of you.

"Women first", he announced, his sly smile back on his lips.

You complied, seizing the rope and started to climb.

"Don't you dare taking this opportunity to stare at my ass", you joked, looking down at him.

He laughed, throwing his head back. Because of it, he didn't see the fact that Lucille was dandling along the edge of the ridge. But you did.

"Watch out!" You shouted, pointing your finger toward the baseball bat. But it was too late. It tumbled down and fell right in the face of one of the walker underneath, crushing its skull. His eyes goggled in horror; Bat Man quickly assessed the situation. And you guessed what he was about to do even before he acted.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me…" you cursed before climbing down the rope in a hurry. You jumped on the ridge just as Bat Man called:

"Dwight, give me your fucking gun!"

Mister Weasel threw his machine gun and Bat Man caught it. But when he saw you next to him, he pointed his finger at you.

"You, princess, are climbing up this fucking quarry. Right fucking now", he ordered angrily.

"There is no way I'm letting you fight off a hoard of walkers on your own. It's my fault we are in this bloody mess", you retorted stubbornly, your hands on your hips.

Taking a step towards you and cornering you against the wall of rock, Bat Man growled:

"Either you go back up imme-fucking-diatly or trust me; I'll tie you up with this fucking rope and ask Dwight to carry you up."

Leaning towards him, you whispered in his ear:

"You would like that far too much…"

Then, you took advantage of your proximity to seize your beloved knives around his belt in one swift move. Getting around him, you jumped down the few feet that separated you from the ground. Remembering everything Jesus had told you, you landed with a forward roll and stood up, knives in hands. Battling instinct taking over, your movements became fluid and effective. You stabbed two walkers at the same time, pushing them backward to collapse on top of other corpses, blocking their way. A hand landed on your shoulder and you turned around to attack your new assailant, only to be faced with the raging glare of Bat Man. Machine gun in hands, he pushed you behind him and fired on the line of walkers that were crawling your way. You took care of a few of your own, stabbing, slicing, piling up bodies until you saw Lucille, lying on the ground a few feet to your left.

"Bat Man!" You called, showing it to him.

He nodded. Back to back, you two made your way to the baseball bat. When he picked Lucille up, it was like he came alive again. Bashing head all around with a morbid joy, you watched him for a moment, amazed and a little turned on by his savage brutality. Finally, he faced you, took your hand and pushed past a few walkers to reach a rope you hadn't noticed before.

"Up!" He shouted.

You obeyed without wasting a second. When you were back on the ridge, safe, Bat Man followed you, Lucille fastened to his belt and his machine gun secured on his back. You only allowed yourself to catch your breath when he collapsed next to you. You shared a glance before bursting into laughter. It was ridiculous and insane, but you couldn't stop yourself. Fear and adrenaline was pouring out of you and you felt strangely lightheaded. When your hilarity dissipated, Bat Man face changed suddenly. You didn't know if he was more piss off or astonished. It seems that he didn't either, because he sounded a little bit of both when he said:

"You're fucking crazy, princess."

"You're not so bad yourself", you retorted, breathless after laughing so hard.

"It wasn't a fucking compliment!"

_Okay, he was pissed off._

"But it wasn't a reproach either", you tried, not knowing if he would bit your head off or not.

He breathed out loudly and shook his head as if he really didn't know what to do with you. Finally, he pointed at the rope, silently asking you to climb the rest of the way. Dwight helped you up when you finally reach solid ground and you were tempted to kiss it just to make sure it would never crumble under you again.

Dawn was finally breaking, brightening the sky with gold and blue. You only realized how exhausted you were when Dwight let you go to help his boss. You staggered on your wobbly legs and had to lean against the side of the truck to regain your composure. You saw then that the end of the rope was tied up to the bumper. It fell limply on the ground once Bat Man was back up. Struggling to keep your tired eyes open, you saw Ramirez making his way towards you, but he was stopped by his boss' hand on his shoulder. You watched them talk in quiet whispers, but, judging by the Latino tensed shoulders and Bat Man's dark face, you guessed it was not a peaceful conversation. Walking away from his boss with angry steps, Ramirez didn't even look at you before opening the passenger door and disappearing in the truck's cabin. Dwight, his eyes going from you to Ramirez, stayed silent. But you knew he suspected that something was going on…

Bat Man made his way towards you, Lucille lying casually on his shoulder. He was probably about to tell you something, but was stopped when you gave an enormous yawn. It made him laugh. But then, he stretched out his hand towards you, making you frown.

_What did he want now?_

When his eyes glanced at your stomach, where your beloved knives were secured, the blades tucked inside your legging, you understood. He wanted them back. Making a sulking face, you and him started a staring contest. His earlier neat hairs were a mess now and he was covered in blood and dust. You mustn't look any better. As the adrenaline slowly left your body, you realized your whole body was hurting. Your knees throbbed painfully where they had smashed against the ground, your elbows and hands were scratched and your lower back was killing you. You had never been a vain woman, even before the Apocalypse, but you were sure you looked like a mess right now and it strangely annoyed you. When he realized you would not give up your babied so easily, it was Bat Man's turn to roll his eyes at you.

"Don't be stubborn, love, give them back", he asked with a shimmering annoyance behind his apparent calm.

"I just saved your bloody baseball bat from eternal damnation among the dead", you replied, crossing yours arms on your stomach so that your knives where out of reach.

"Don't you fucking talk about my lady like that!" he argued while taking an angry step towards you, Lucille bouncing on his shoulder.

As you were leaning against the truck, you couldn't step back. Instead, you straighten up and faced his fury with determination.

"Don't you dare taking my babies from me!"

You would not back down from this. Surely by now, he must have realized that you would not slit his throat while he slept! He seemed to understand that he would have to tear them away from you this time. He easily could have, he probably even thought about it, but finally, he exhaled a frustrated sigh and allowed:

"You can keep Moe."

It wasn't a total victory, but it was still something; maybe even the first glimmer of trust between you two. Nodding with a brilliant smile, you raised your hands as a sign of surrender and was about to give Meeny and Miny back to him, when he beat you to it. Walking into your personal space,  _again_ (you would have to talk to him about this in the future), Bat Man slowly hooked a gloved finger under the elastic band of your legging. Losing your breath somewhere deep inside your chest, you remained speechless as he seized the first knife handle, the back of his palm brushing against your lower belly. Blazing sparkles exploded where his gloved hand touched your burning skin, lazily making their way between your thighs. You tightened your legs together instinctively, trying unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire in your loin. Lost in his eyes, you saw a slow, seductive smile stretching his lips. You knew he had seen your pupils dilating and it seemed to greatly amuse him. His knuckles grazed your lower stomach once, twice, like if he was stroking the goose bumps that prickled your oversensitive skin. You saw his tawny eyes darkening as well, but before you knew it, Bat Man had taken a step back. Meeny and Miny were secured around is own belt and his eyes were still trapping yours with their intensity.

"Let's go, princess. We still have a fucking long road ahead of us".

His voice had been gentle, but he might as well have yelled at you. Startled, you woke up from your heated slumber, blushing outrageously. Horrified by your reactions to his proximity ( _again_!), you hurried back inside the truck, avoiding his gaze. You heard him chuckle as he followed you, but he said nothing and sat on one of the benches. As the engine stared, you decided to lie on your sleeping bag, turning your back to him. You then forced your eyes closed.

_You were soooo screwed!_

_\--------------------------_

_See you soon ^^_


	8. Negan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> Sorry for the unforgivable delay, but I'm back!
> 
> I'll try to update this story at least twice a month if everything goesaccording to plan.
> 
> Happy reading!

**Chapter 8: Negan**

Despite your troubled thoughts about everything that had happened to you since you had met the Saviors, you fell asleep really fast. When you woke up, groggy, the sun was high in the sky and Bat Man was nowhere to be seen. Dwight had taken his place at the back of the truck. He barely registered your presence when you sat next to him on the bench. You stretched out, rubbing your still sleepy eyes and asked:

"What time is it?"

"Past midday", came his quick answer.

He didn't look at you and stayed focused on cleaning this gun with a grey rag. After a few more minutes of awkward silence, you tried to start a conversation again:

"How long before we reach the outpost?"

"A few hours".

He still hadn't even glanced at you and something in his voice sounded final and harsh, as if he was mad at you or something.

"You don't like me, do you?" You guessed, once again playing with your fingers.

"I don't have to like you."

 _Okay…_  Was it you, or did he really didn't want to talk to you?

Fine! It was a shame because he had seemed like quite an interesting guy. But you weren't going to waste your breath with someone that seemed to think you didn't even deserved to be looked at. Sitting with your arms crossed, you looked at the passing landscape and sulked. Your thoughts traveled back to Hilltop and Jesus. What your best friend was doing right now? Was he scavenging alone? Training alone? Had he found a way to track you down? Was he near?

Your heart squeezed painfully as you pictured Jesus, alone in your trailer. You missed him so much! And you had barely been apart for more than 24 hours. You couldn't wait to be at the Sanctuary. At least there, you could actually start your spying mission and do something other than waiting around. You hated doing nothing. It irked you and made you overthink everything. At least, when you were working, your mind stayed relatively quiet. But now you couldn't help but think about your current situation and more importantly, Bat Man. Again.

You really ought to ask him his real name. You had known him for what? 30 hours? And you couldn't help but relive all your interactions. Your fist impression had been that he was an incredibly handsome asshole. It was still true, but in just a few hours, you had managed to catch glimpses of a totally different man underneath. He was rude, but strangely considerate. He was bad-tempered, but had jumped to your rescue… twice. He was a total mystery. You still didn't understand why he had done it. It would have been easier for the Saviors if you'd just disappeared. Yes, Bat Man had said that Negan wanted to meet you, but surely, your death would have relieved him of a burden he had never asked for.

Speaking of the devil, you focused your thoughts on the infamous leader of the Saviors. It was safer than to keep trying to make sense of Bat Man. What had you learned about Negan since you first heard his name? Not a lot, actually. He apparently enjoyed gifts, and women, judging by his men sayings. Bat Man and the others seemed very loyal to him, which meant that he was charismatic and powerful enough to have earned the respect of much men. That was all. That wouldn't do at all. You needed to learn more about Negan if you wanted to be useful to Hilltop in your mission.

Glancing at Dwight, you saw him watching you from the corner of his eyes. But he turned his attention back to his gun when he realized you had seen him. Hiding a little smile, you turned toward him and asked with an earnest curiosity:

"How's Negan?"

Surprised by your question, he finally consented to look you in the eyes.

"Why do you ask? You'll find out soon enough, trust me."

_Yeah! More than two words! You were making progress._

"Because I'm supposed to be his  _gift_. And I would like to know a little more about the man I'll be  _given_  to", you answered, emphasizing about the ridiculousness of this whole situation.

You hadn't forgotten that he had defended you against Ramirez, so you tried to appeal to his protective side again. It seemed to work, because, after throwing a quick glance in the direction of the head of the truck, where Ramirez and Bat Man probably were, he sighed.

"Okay. But I'm not promising I'll answer all of your questions."

Smiling broadly, you leant towards him and asked conspiratorially:

"Is he bad?"

Dwight huffed a little forced laugh.

"I don't know what you mean by 'bad'. As long as you follow his rules, he's quite fair. At the Sanctuary, you have to work to earn your keep. Negan rules are quite simple. When you contribute to the community, you are given points. They are like money. With them, you can buy food and necessary things like soap and clothes. As long as you obey and keep a low profile, Negan will keep you safe from the outside world. But if you step out of the lines… then yes, he can be 'bad'. Really bad."

This whole system of points seemed quite fair, as long as it was done in equality. But Dwight had had a strange gleam in his eyes while talking, as if everything was not as simple as it seemed. You couldn't help but shiver. You pictured Negan as an ancient Roman Emperor, watching his people work hard while he stayed on his pedestal, safe from the hardship of the world. In your head, he looked a lot like Gregory, stern and cruel, making his people pay for his mistakes and tantrum. And, what did he mean by " _really bad_ "? You were not sure you really wanted to find out…

"And what about his…  _gifts_? How does he usually treat them?" You gulped.

Dwight stared at you for a moment, as if trying to determine if you could handle the truth or not. Finally, he said:

"Negan has wives. Four of them. And I won't be surprised if he asked you to be his fifth."

Frozen in shocked horror, you remained speechless.  _Wives?_  After all, you picturing him as a Roman Emperor hadn't been so far from the truth. And did he really expect you to become one of them? You were going to be sick. Thankfully, your stomach was empty, because if not, you would probably have thrown up all over Dwight shoes.

"How… how do you know he will even like me?" You stuttered, images of an alternative version of Gregory eying you with depraved lust flashing in your mind.

"Trust me. I know", assured Dwight, looking at you with a strange intensity.

Cold sweat prickling your skin, you suddenly felt dirty and wanted to run away from here as fast and as far as possible. You refused to be subjected to a man that apparently treated his people as workforce and needed a harem of wives to feel important enough. Dwight seemed to sense you were on the verge of having a panic attack, because he placed a comforting hand on your shoulder.

"It's not as bad as it seems. Negan treats his wives fairly well. They are protected and have a certain status in the community. They don't have to work and he pampers them with an easier life. A lot of women would be happy to become his wife."

Pushing his hand away, you stood up and shivered with utmost disgust.

"There is no way in hell I'll be his _fifth_  wife. I rather work scrubbing toilets than demeaning myself being so much as associated with such a pig!" You shouted, shimmering with distaste.

You had never met the guy, but you already hated him with violence. Dwight held his arms up, giving up, but a little smile appeared in his face at your words. It was like he found your apparent disgust quite funny. Glaring at him, you were about to ask him what he was smiling about, but he beat you to the punch when he said enigmatically:

"Don't be so sure of yourself, you could be surprised."

Frowning, you choose to shut your mouth rather than say where he could shove his opinion out loud. Finally, you were happy you still had a few days before you had to meet Negan. The Sanctuary suddenly appeared more like a prison than ever. Still uneasy and shivering with contain anger, you sat back, as far away from Dwight as possible and stared to vigorously twist your fingers. Deep in your tormented thoughts, you lost track of time. You only came back to reality when the truck stopped suddenly. You were about to jump out of the truck behind Dwight when he stopped you with a raised hand.

"Stay there for a moment, boss' orders", he explained before pacing a few feet from the truck, keeping an eye on you.

Rolling your eyes, you sat again, your foot tapping against the floor in annoyance. You couldn't stand the back of  this damn truck anymore. You wanted to stretch your legs and most of all, clean up. You hoped the outpost had running water. While waiting, you observed your surroundings. You could see a rectangular white building with a big satellite rising toward the sky in the middle. The outpost was surrounded by wire fences where a few walkers roamed. Four armed men were standing near the entrance, speaking with Bat Man and Ramirez, but of course, you couldn't hear a thing they were saying. Finally, Dwight's boss gave him a nod and he let you out of the truck. Taking your bag, you stretched until Bat Man came towards you.

"Am I allowed to go in now?" You asked ironically.

"I fucking missed you too, love", he said as an answer, smiling like the Cheshire cat.

You had enough of this man who always seemed to have a laugh at your expense. Glaring at him, you walked ahead of him until you reached Ramirez and Dwight near the building entrance.

"Welcome to our satellite outpost, princess", announced Bat Man, spreading his arms open as if he presented his kingdom to you.

"Nice", you admitted. It lacked gardens in your humbled opinion, but the walls seemed solid enough and the cleared landscape surrounding it made it easy to defend in case of an attack.

Your compliment made him smile and he invited you to come in, even offering his arm to you.

"You take this _princess_  joke far too seriously", you confided, refusing to play his silly game and rolling your eyes.

"You really should stop doing that if you don't want me to spank this fucking habit off of you,  _princess_ ", he whispered in your ear when you went through the door.

If you trembled at his words, it was with indignation, not at all because you were turned on by his words… _nope, not at all!_

Bat Man escorted you across countless dark corridors until you stopped at a door. He opened it and you were surprised to see it was a room, little but with a bed that looked comfortable and most of all, an adjacent bathroom. Glancing at him to check if it was really your room, he nodded and you entered. Dropping your bag on the bed, you sat on the soft mattress and let out a sigh.

"Happy to see your fucking suite is to your liking, princess", he laughed, leaning against the door frame.

Hugging your knees to your chest, you put your chin on your leg before asking:

"How long will we stay?"

"Just for a day or two. I… Negan asked me to manage a few things here. Then, we'll be on our way to the Sanctuary", he explained, his eyes never leaving yours.

Suddenly, you felt extremely vulnerable, sitting on this bed while he was standing there, looking at you with those too intense eyes. Straightening up, you busied yourself rummaging through your duffle bag.

"What am I supposed to do in the meantime?" You asked.

You heard him step into the room. He stopped behind you, looking above your shoulder at the content of your bag. You blushed furiously when you realized you were holding your pink bra. Putting it back, you closed the fastening but didn't dare to face him. He was standing so close; you could feel the warmth of his body from head to toe, his hot breath stroking the back on your neck making you shiver.

"It depends, princess. What the fuck do you expect you should do?" He soughed, his lips grazing the shell of your ear.

Your heart was beating vigorously against your ribs, making it difficult for you to breathe properly. The undeniable effect he had on your whole being was becoming quite concerning. You could still control yourself, but barely. And you knew that if you turned around and faced him, you would be lost. He knew it too. But he didn't do anything. He waited, not pushing you, not moving except for his labored breathing you could hear next to your ear. His heaving chest was brushing your back with each breathe he took and his mere presence made you feel lightheaded. Closing your eyes to try and regain control over your overwhelmed emotions, you knew you had to make a choice. You could turn around and face this insufferable but fascinating man or you could stay put, refusing what your whole body begged from the moment you had seen him. It was so tempting. But, you knew that giving in wasn't the right choice. A man like him would consume you and you would lose yourself in him. And you refused to betray your conviction for simple lust. Jesus, Hilltop and your people needed you to be strong.

_You were tougher than that for fucksake!_

You could feel your body screaming in despair, but your decision was taken.

"I think I should take a shower and maybe rest a little before diner, alone", you finally answered.

You heard him sigh behind you. You could feel him shaking, trying to contain whatever he was feeling right now (disappointment, anger, lust), you would never know.

"As you wish, princess", he said.

You only opened your eyes when you felt him step away. You kept your gaze fixed on the bed, but you heard him stop at the door. Before he closed it behind him, he whispered:

"Thank you for Lucille."

Then, he left.

As if something had broken inside of you, you collapsed on the bed, breathless, a hand on your beating heart. You allowed yourself a few minutes of mental breakdown before you took a deep breath. You had made your choice now. No more flirting or smoldering in front of those tawny eyes. You had a job to do. Overtook by a new determination, you stood up and entered the little bathroom. You watched your reflection on the mirror above the sink. You looked like hell, your hairs disheveled and shadows under your eyes. It was a miracle a man as handsome as Bat Man had even taken the time to notice you. Shaking your head to erase this kind of thoughts, you hardened your gaze.

"You can do it, Rose", you whispered to yourself before taking your filthy clothes off and stepping into the shower.

_Yes, you could to it… right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this chapter.


	9. The Outpost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm back with a new little chapter! This one is rather short but I'll post the next one sooner, promise.
> 
> Hope you'll like it.
> 
> Happy reading! ^^

**Chapter 9: The Outpost**

 

After a long shower that made you feel human again, you put on a pair of faded jeans and a red tank top. As you sat on the bed, you realized you weren't tired at all. It was still early, the sun was still high in the sky and you wanted to start your mission as soon as possible. This outpost seemed big enough to be an important part of Negan community. When you went to the door, you realized that maybe Bat Man had locked you in. It would have been logical; after all, you still were a prisoner. But when you turned the handle, the panel opened. However, when you stepped outside, Dwight straightened up from his leaning position against the wall facing your room and gave you a little hand salute.

"You didn't expect to be allowed to roam these parts unattended, did you?"

In return, you bestowed your fakest smile on him and announced:

"Well, my jailer, I'm hungry. Lead the way."

Shaking his head, Dwight shouldered his machine gun and you followed him through the corridors. This place was like a fucking maze, everything looked the same. The walls were dirty and the formerly white doors you passed were all closed, preventing you from learning anything about the function of this outpost. Surely the satellite wasn't working anymore, but maybe the Saviors had found another use for it. Anyway, it was worth investigating. You reached a corridor with big old electrical cabinets, which used to operate the satellite, you guessed. Suddenly, on your left, a door opened and a ginger haired woman came out of the room. You barely saw what was inside because she immediately closed the panel, but you could guess it was quite important, seeing how she reacted when her brown eyes spotted you.

"What the fuck is she doing out?" She barked at Dwight.

She could have been pretty if her face hadn't been darkened by an ugly scowl.

"Chill out Paula, I was asked to make sure she doesn't cause any problem. I was just taking her to the kitchen", answered Mister Weasel.

Paula looked at you as if you were a disgusting cockroach.

"If I had my say in the matter, fucking girls like you would be given to the bitters as bait", she cussed, taking a threatening step towards you.

"What do you mean by 'girls like me', you don't even fucking know me!" You shouted, anger boiling in your veins.

"You, Negan's whores, are a fucking disgrace to women. Without his protection, you would be fucking dead", she added, walking in your personal space.

Your hand instinctively reached for Moe around your belt and brought it under her throat in a swift move.

"I'm nobody's whore. And as you can see, I don't need anybody's protection", you hissed between your teeth.

When Paula saw you were far from defenseless, her eyes goggled in surprise. Taking a step back, a hand around her throat, she yelled:

"He's fucking crazy. Does he know she's armed?"

Dwight answered her by shrugging, more focused on his nails than their row. You didn't know if she was talking about Negan or Bat Man, but it didn't matter to you. Was it how people were going to consider you at the Sanctuary? As Negan's whore? You would have to talk to Bat Man about this. You had guessed he was an important figure in the Saviors community. Maybe he could help you… you hoped. Because you would never become Negan's new wife. You would rather die than to be whored like this.

"He knows", you finally said, glaring at Paula.

She spat at your feet then pointed a finger at you.

"You'll pay for this", she threatened, her eyes filled with hatred.

"Bring it on, Ginger", you answered with the same intensity.

Paula finally left, but in her anger, she forgot to lock the mysterious door behind her. Hiding a smile behind your hand, you turned back to Dwight. He was watching you with a strange glint in his eyes.

"So?" You asked.

"Let's go", he decided, before turning in another corridor. You followed, but not after swiftly leaving a little mark near the door handle with Moe's tip. Like this, you would be sure to find it again in case you lost your way in this labyrinth of a place.

At last, you arrived at the kitchen area. It looked like an old cafeteria with long and narrow tables, plastic chairs and a self-served buffet filled with fresh fruits and cans of food. They were definitely not starving. It mad you angry, knowing these goods probably came from all the communities the Saviors ransacked. The room was pretty much empty now, with only two women drinking something that looked like coffee in the far corner. They glanced at you but quickly went back to their hushed conversation. You and Dwight stopped near the buffet and you asked, pointing at the food:

"Don't I need some of your points to help myself to any of this?"

"You've earned enough of them when you jumped into a pit full of walkers to save Lucille".

Unexpectedly, the answer came from behind you. You froze when you recognized his voice. Bat Man.

_Damned!_ Was he following you or something? You had hoped you wouldn't see him until at least the next day. Not that you were trying to hide from him… maybe just a little. But it was unnerving to have him around all the time. How were you supposed to fight the unwelcome effect he had on you if he suddenly appeared everywhere you went?

Turning around to face him, you were surprised to see he had removed his leather jacket and gloves. He seemed far less intimidating like this, but it didn't alter his imposing presence, nor his handsomeness. At all. You had guessed he was well built but now, you could see for yourself that underneath his leanness, his arms were subtly muscled. Through his now white shirt (he must have changed too), you could detect a broad chest, but not too muscular. You had never liked the bodybuilder type. You were more attracted to tall, toned muscle guys…like him, actually.

If your mouth watered, it was because you were hungry… for food!

"Help yourself, princess", he offered, presenting the buffet to you with a wave of his naked hand.

He had nice hands…

Lightly shaking your head to stop ( _really, stop this now!)_  you train of thought; you picked an apple and bit into the juicy fruit. You ate it in relative silence while Mister Weasel and his boss talked in hushed voices a few feet from you. Unfortunately, you couldn't hear them and trying to get closer would have been too obvious. Finally, sending Dwight off with a sharp nod, Bat Man announced:

"I just realized earlier that we've known each other for more than a day now and, apart from your  _lovely_  name and your fucking temper, I feel like I barely know you."

Raising an eyebrow, you look at him with suspicious curiosity. Was he trying to be  _civil_?

"Usually, it's my job to take care of Negan's gifts and it seems that so far, I've fucking failed in my duty towards you", he added.

Seeing you were still highly unresponsive to his attempt at civility; your mistrust only growing, Bat Man lost his temper. His eyes darkening in annoyance, he barked:

"Are you at least going to fucking answer me or not?"

You couldn't help but laugh. There he was. For a second, you had thought the Bat Man you knew had been swapped with a newer model. Politeness and good manners didn't suit him. You rather have to deal with the raw, complex and genuine version of him.

"What do you want?" You conceded, rolling your eyes.

His jaw tensed at your action and it made you want to smile.

"Let's got for a walk. We fucking need to talk", he answered grumpily, taking you by the arm and guiding you out of the cafeteria. Despite his irritation, he remained gentle, his fingers lightly circling your wrist, never manhandling you.

"Can I at least go back to my room and grab my jacket before you drag me trough the door?" You asked.

You had an idea… Any other time, you would never have even tried to outsmart him, but you could use his current agitation to your advantage.

"It's fucking hot as hell outside", he argued.

"But I'm cold", you retorted stubbornly, crossing your arms.

It wasn't true, but you needed to anger him further if you wanted to succeed. Sighing as if you were a real pain in his ass, Bat Man growled between his teeth:

"Fine. Let's go"

_Fuck, he was not supposed to follow you._

"I can find my way back to my room, thank you very much. I'm not totally helpless", you protested with your whiniest voice.

"Don't fucking tease me,  _princess_. You won't like it if I really get angry", he threatened, his eyes darkening and his feature sharpening.

_Oups_ … He was scary when he wanted to. Maybe you had gone too far… But you stood your ground anyway, your gaze clashing with his. Hell, it seemed you had finally met someone as stubborn as you.

Finally, after what seemed to be hours but was probably just a few seconds, Bat Man pointed Lucille at you and growled:

"Fine. But if are not back here in five fucking minutes sharp, I'll go and fucking fetch you by the scruff of your neck. Understood?"

"Sir, yes Sir!" You joked before disappearing on the corner of a corridor.

_Yes!_  You had done it. Without wasting your time and focusing on trying to find your way back, you ran along the hallways. Your heart beating like crazy, you were lucky enough to meet nobody. Easily enough, you spotted the closed door where you had left a mark. Praying to whatever God still existed in the Apocalypse; you pushed the handle, hoping no one had closed it since Paula had come out. When the door opened, you nearly jumped up and down like an excited schoolgirl. Looking over your shoulder to check if you were still alone, you crossed the threshold and closed the panel behind you.

_Jackpot!_

In front of you was the largest stack of weapons you had ever seen. So, Gregory had been right when he said that the Saviors had guns. Lots of them. You didn't know if this outpost could be considered as their armory, but this information could be useful. If one day, you needed weapons, you knew how and where to get them. A small smile stretching your lips, you let your eyes roam over the multiple machine guns, glocks, berettas, holsters, crossbows, knives… it was Ali Baba's weapon cave.

"Alright Saviors", you whispered to yourself. "Let's get this party starting."


	10. The Walk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm back! I hope you'll like this chapter and promise to update soon!
> 
> Happy reading!
> 
> Note: I'm going to try to answer your comments *blush*

**Chapter 10: The Walk**

You didn't know how you managed it, but just before the five minute ultimatum came to an end, you were back at the cafeteria entrance, your jacket in your arms. Bat Man was leaning against the wall, waiting for you.

"Just in time, princess", he said, straightening up and swinging Lucille on his shoulder.

"Told you I would not get lost", you answered with a sweet smile.

Shaking his head, he considered you for a moment, but this time, you didn't manage to guess what he was thinking. His face was impassive and his eyes shone with a glint you had never seen before. You knew he was thoughtful when he ran his hand through his beard.

"What?" You asked, feeling unnerved by his silent stare.

A wolfish grin appearing on his face, he tilted his head towards the door.

"You coming, love?" He offered.

Without waiting for your answer, he stepped outside. Intrigued, you followed him. He led you to the edge of the fence, near the surrounding woods. He lifted a hanging portion of the wire netting and invited you to pass through. Still frowning, you complied nevertheless and waited for him on the other side. But when he stepped into the forest, you stopped and couldn't help but ask, a cold chill running along your back:

"You are not bringing me here to kill me, right? Because it would be the perfect place."

He burst into laughter. Walking back towards you, he leant in your personal space and hushed next to your ear:

"Trust me princess, if I fucking wanted to kill you, I would have done it a long time ago. It's not like you've never given me the opportunity. It's like you fucking try to do everything in your goddamn power to drive me mad. You constantly talk back to me, you seem incapable to follow an order and you're rebellious. And I fucking  _hate_  all of those things. They make me very, very angry."

You gulped, rooted to the spot. Straightening up, he looked into your eyes and you suddenly stopped breathing. He was fucking terrifying at this moment. His gaze was cold as ice and his handsome face was dark. He had never been violent with you, but you had to remember that you barely knew the guy. And you were alone with him at the edge of the fucking woods. No one was around. Anything could happen. Tilting his head to the side, he stared intently at you. But whatever he saw in your eyes seemed to kindle something in him, because his whole demeanor completely changed in a heartbeat. His eyes softened, sparkling with gold and a broad smile shone on his face.

"But for whatever fucking reason, princess, you seem to be the exception."

Your heart missed a beat and you remained speechless. Did he actually just compliment you just seconds after threatening you? He had accused you of driving him mad, but you could say the same. When it came to him, you never really knew where to stand. Before you could articulate an answer to his enigmatic revelation, he added in a boisterous tone:

"But don't fucking push your luck, love. It may only be temporary insanity due to me bashing my fucking head on the ground to save you from falling on this fucking pit".

Gaping like a fish out of his tank, you shook your head in disbelief. You couldn't believe this guy… So you simply nodded. He turned around and stepped into the woods and you followed him, rolling your eyes again. At this rate, it would soon become your default setting around him.

"So, if it's not for murdering me, why are we here?" You eventually asked as you walked side by side.

"I've already told you. To talk", he answered as if it was obvious.

"About what?"

He suddenly stopped, his head turning to his left as if he had seen something. You finally noticed it too. Two wandering walkers were zigzagging between the trees, heading towards you. In a single move, Bat Man grabbed Lucille and you seized Moe. You waited until they were within reach and sprang into action. While he bashed the first walkers head with an effective swing of his bat, you plunged your knife into the other one' skull. It was over quickly and their limp bodies  
simultaneously crashed to the floor. Turning toward you as if nothing had interrupted your conversation, he asked:

"Do you still want to play the 20 questions game?"

"I've never actually agreed to play any game, but fair enough", you agreed, shrugging.

He smiled his cheeky grin before inviting you to resume your walk with a wave of his arm.

"But only if you promise to play fair and square", you added, eying him distrustfully.

Raising his hands as if hurt by you assumption, he swore:

"On Lucille's head".

He still had his shit-eating grin, but you let it slide. After all, getting to know him a little better wasn't such a bad idea. It could come in handy to befriend him before you reached the Sanctuary. And, maybe he would actually help you avoid Negan's clutches.

"Okay, let's fucking do this. Ladies first" he announced enthusiastically.

You smiled at his eagerness _._  Jumping over a fallen branch on the forest floor and keeping your eyes alert in case you spotted any walkers, you started:

"Do you have to use the word  _fuck_  in every sentence?"

"Fuck yeah!" Came his loud answer.

You once again rolled your eyes. _Yep, definitely your default setting from now on_.

"Okay",you conceded. "Your turn."

"Why does this fucking awful Uncle of yours decided to sell his last remaining family member at the first occasion?"

Shocked by his question, you stopped dead in your track. You couldn't help but feel your heart squeeze painfully at the memory of how Gregory had treated you. You clenched your jaw and focused on the leaves before you, refusing to shed a tear for this odious fucker.

"Because he hates me?" You tried, unconvincingly.

But Bat Man saw right through you. There was far more to the story than what you wanted to admit.

Facing you, he took your chin between his fingers, raising your face until he could look you in the eyes.

"You'll have to do a little better than that princ… Rose", he asked.

The sound of your real name coming from those lips had unexpected consequences on your whole being. A long and thrilling shiver ran all over your spine and it was like someone had plunged you into a tank of hot water. It was arousing and strangely soothing at the same time. This, added to his earnest expression made you spill one of your deepest secret to him:

"I… I think he never forgave me for surviving and not my mother. He loved her so much... He has always been jealous of my dad for stealing her away from him. When I arrived at Hilltop and he saw me, he was so happy. I had never seen him smile like this. Never. But then he must have realized that I was alone or seen the truth in my eyes, because he just lost it. He had thought she was with me… Anyway, since then, he all but tolerate me. We've never seen eye to eye on anything about running Hilltop. I think he is afraid that I will try to steal his throne or incite a mutiny of some sort… So when Negan came to him, he saw this as the perfect opportunity to get rid of me. He must have had enough of having a reminder of his dead sister in front of his eyes all day long."

You had never shared your thoughts about Gregory hatred towards you with anybody, not even Jesus. Your best friend had probably guessed most of it on his own, but you never really talked about it with him. It was strangely cathartic to finally say it out loud, even if you hadn't indented to, especially not in front of Bat Man. If you had agreed to play this all 20 questions games, it was because you thought you could learn things about him and the Saviors, not the other way around.

Focusing your attention back to him, you saw that he was staring at you with a deep intensity. If he looked at you any harder, he would drill a hole in your skull. It was like he was trying to extract your thoughts from your brain. He as well seemed to be lost in his own little bubble. Clearing your throat to get him back to reality, you announced with a shy smile:

"It's my turn now."

Still pensive, he just nodded.

"Okay. So… why is your baseball bat called Lucille?"

It was like you had turned him into stone. His eyes grew cold, his face emotionless and he suddenly stared into nothingness, just above your shoulder.

"Next question, princess", he ordered flatly.

Frowning, you were about to insist, but changed your mind when he drifted his gaze back to you. You could detect a new glint into his eyes and it hit you like a punch in the gut. He was sad. Incredibly sad. So, instead of pushing him to confide in you, you smiled softly at him.

_You understood…_  Some pains were just too much to handle.

"What did you do before all this?" You decided to ask in a joyful tone.

Huffing a laugh, his face turning back into the sly and devilish one you were used to seeing, he answered:

"Believe me or not, I was a fucking coach."

"A coach, really? Like in highschool?" You scoffed, honestly surprised.

He nodded, swinging Lucille in the air like a baseball player.

You would never have guessed. It was kind of funny. You had a hard time picturing him with shorts and a whistle. But you didn't doubt that he had been great at barking orders around.

"What about you, princess? What kind of job did you do, apart from ruling a fucking kingdom?" He teased.

He was really taking his whole  _princess_  pet name seriously. But you surprised yourself by smiling to his joke. Maybe you were slowly getting used to it… it sounded more and more like a friendly tease than a way of demeaning you. Still walking side by side into the sparse woods, you answered, biting your bottom lips:

"I was a student, actually. In botanic science."

"What the fuck does that mean?" He blurted, frowning.

You huffed a little laugh. He was not the first to ask you that.

"I studied plants and how to grow them, anywhere", you explained. "Basically, if you want to eat in the Apocalypse, I'm the person you want to talk to."

You bragged a little, but it was basically true. Thanks to you, Hilltop now owned a flourishing garden and a great variety of crops with self-made fertilizer; all of it using very little resources. And it was good to insinuate you could be useful to the Saviors. If they had to subdue other communities for their supplies, that meant they weren't self-sufficient. And maybe, if you taught them a few things, they would eventually don't need to extort Hilltop anymore.

"Is that what you did at Hilltop?" He asked, looking genuinely interested.

Halting your walk, you turned to face him, arms crossed. Lifting an eyebrow, you protested:

"It's my time to ask a question!"

"Humor me; I'll give you one of mine in return", he offered.

You considered it for a second and agreed:

"Fair enough. Yes, I was the garden supervisor at Hilltop. I was in charge of all our crops. It wasn't easy at the beginning because the soil wasn't really favorable. I even had to use human waste as a fertilizer several times. But now, it's quite fertile."

"Human waste?" He blurted out, looking torn between surprise and hilarity.

"Yep. Shit." You emphasized with a raise of yours eyebrows.

He stayed wide eyed, staring at you for a few seconds, before he burst out laughing.

"You really… used people' fucking shit… to grow your gardens?" he hiccupped between breaths, his eyes beginning to water with hilarity.

You nodded, smiling at his reaction, before adding:

"It's quite effective, actually. But you can also use wood ashes, dried nettle, powdered eggshells or even blood."

"You are a fucking genius, princess!" He announced, making you blush like a school girl. "Why did this fucking Gregory fucker even thought about letting you go? He's badshit crazy!"

You couldn't help but being flattered by his indignation. But you put things back into perspective.

"My people don't need my expertise anymore. I taught them well", you admitted, shrugging.

He stared at you for a few seconds and, not for the first time; you really wished you could read his thoughts. His gaze was so penetrating, you felt blazing hot under his stare. You had to halt the growing tension.

"My turn now!" You said far too loudly.

But it worked. Because, after skimming his lips with his tongue leisurely, making your squirm, he dropped his gaze. When he looked at you again, his expression was nearly back to normal.

"What's your real name?" You finally asked.

Because all this  _Bat Man_  business was getting kind of ridiculous. You had spent most time with him than other Saviors and you still didn't know his real name. The term "dark handsome stranger" was fitting him, but you didn't consider him as a stranger anymore.

But he settled for an even more mysterious answer than the last one he had given you:

"You already know it".

He was really annoying! How difficult could it be just to say your _bloody_  name?

"No I don't!" You retorted with irritation. "And don't you dare telling me it's Bruce again."

A mischievous smile appeared on his face when he said:

"It's not Bruce, but you know my name, you just don't want to admit it yet."

You gave him the biggest roll of eyes humanly possible before grumbling with a scowl:

"If you keep dodging my questions, I'm gonna have to stop playing."

He just laughed and before you could sulk any longer, the radio he wore on his belt crackled to life. A voice you recognized as Ramirez's blurted:

"Boss? We need you back here, ASAP."

Diving his eyes sparkling with malice into yours, he answered with a devilish smile:

"I'm coming."

Swinging Lucille on his shoulder, he turned around to walk back to the outpost. You followed him, still really exasperated by his unwillingness to play the game properly. But, when he started whistling, you knew you would not get anything else from him today.

Play time was over.

Your evening at the outpost was uneventful. Bat Man had vanished the moment you two had walked through the cafeteria door. Leaving another man named Oliver in charge of escorting you; he had winked at you before disappearing into a corridor.

Oliver was civil enough, but he didn't talk much. While eating a can of ravioli as diner, you had tried to ask him things about the outpost, the Saviors and Negan. But he only had given you one word answers. Giving up, you two had finished eating in silence. When he had walked you back to the room that had been assigned to you, you had crossed path with Paula again. But this time, she had only glared at you from afar. Once you had been alone in your room, you had leant against the closed door and sighed. You had decided to lay on the bed and that where you had fallen asleep until you heard a knock on your door.

Without a window, you didn't know what time it was, but you guessed the sun had probably already set.

_Who could that be?_

Frowning, you stood up and tried to turn the handle, but it was locked. Someone had shut you in for the night.  _Nice…_  But you guessed it was logical not to let you roam around an enemy compound after dark.

But, why did someone had just knocked at your door? Too scare you? To try to push you around?

It was only when your gaze dropped to the ground that you saw that a note that been slipped under your door. More and more intrigued, you picked it up and unfolded it. Your heart sped up when you read the two simple words that were written on it.

" _Hey Pumpkin."_

Tears streaming out of your eyes, you had to sit on the bed to try and regain your breath.

Jesus.

You didn't know how he had done it, but he had found you. Maybe he had been following you from the start. Suddenly, you didn't feel so lost and alone anymore. Your best friend was here. So near…

Laughing and crying at the same time, you hugged the little note to your chest.

"Bloody ninja", you mumbled fondly between sobs.

Later, when you fell asleep again, you were feeling calm and safe. Because you knew that Jesus was watching over you. He would never give up on you.

**  
**


	11. A New Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This chapter is not very long but I've to admit I have a hard time writting at the moment. So I pushed myself to post this new chapter despite my blank page syndrome and I'm working to find inspiration to start the new one.   
> I hope I'll be able to give you more to read sooner rather than later.
> 
> Anyway, happy reading ! ^^
> 
> Note: And as usual, if you see any mistakes, tell me so I can correct them.

**Chapter 11: A New Day**

When you woke up the next day, you felt amazingly refreshed. You hadn't slept this peacefully in a long time. With a smile on your face, you reread the little note from Jesus before enjoying a long shower. After all, you didn't know when you would be able to wash properly again. It was only when you approached the door to get out that you realized that maybe, it was still locked. You tried the handle, and this time, it opened. But your good mood disappeared in a flash when you saw Ramirez leaning against the wall in front you. Before you could ask him what the hell he was doing here, he straightened up and raised his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"I'm not here to cause any trouble. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I was a total douche and it won't happen again", he apologized.

He really did make an effort to sound genuine, but you could see through his bullshit. It sounded fake, as if he had learnt it by heart but was unable to recite his lesson correctly. And his apology might also have had more influence if his eyes hadn't drop to your cleavage at the moment he had seen you. Refraining your building anger, you pointed two of your fingers at your face and said:

“My eyes are up here, dude.”

Maybe wearing your tightest green shirt hadn’t been the best of ideas. 

At last, he looked at your face and smirked.

“Sorry, but can you blame me?”

You remembered that Bat Man had said the same thing to you the day you had met, but with Ramirez, you had a really different reaction. A nasty chill running in your whole body, you decided that it would be wiser to ignore his creepiness. This asshole would not spoil your day! Jesus was around, somewhere, and you had to find a way to at least catch a glimpse of him. You had written something on the back of his note and would do everything in your power to try to pass it on to him.

“Are you my jailer for the day?” You asked, crossing your arms on your chest to prevent him from looking at your boobs.

“Yep!” He answered joyfully, probably thinking his poor apology had been a success.

Giving him your fakest smile, you got headed of him and started to make your way to the cafeteria. You didn’t know what Bat Man had planned for you today, but you didn’t really care. You were hungry and Ramirez seemed wiling enough to accompany you there. When you walked through the door, you saw that the cafeteria was nearly empty. It was around 9 o’clock and people had probably already eaten breakfast and started their day. You still noticed Dwight, sitting alone at a table, munching on some kind of granola bar. Grabbing what seemed to be a little pack of old cookies; you walked towards him and sat in front of Dwight.

“Good morning”, you said with a genuine smile.

He nodded back as an answer and his eyes drifted to your left, where Ramirez had taken place. He frowned, as if seeing you two together was not something he had been expecting. But he said nothing. You noticed that your jailer of the day had also taken a pack of biscuits. You three ate in silence before you asked:

“So, guys, what are we doing today?”

“You’ve been given the right to walk outside the compound and use your genius on the soil, whatever that means”, announced Ramirez.

Hiding your smile behind your hand, you noted:

“ _Given the right_?”

“Boss’ orders”, mumbled Dwight.

You suddenly had an idea.

“Would any of you be nice enough to tell me your boss real name in exchange for a cookie? They are really good”, you offered, keeping an innocent face.

They shared a look and a conspirator smile before Ramirez answered:

“Sorry honey, can’t do.”

_Crap! But it had been worth the try._

Shrugging, you ate your last cookie with overplayed gusto and even licked your fingers before sighing:

“Your loss, boys.”

You saw Dwight huff a laugh and you couldn’t help but grin at him. You started to like this guy. He was rough around the edges, but far from stupid and quite perceptive. In another world, you could have been friends. Looking annoyed by your sudden complicity, Ramirez stood up and growled:

“Let’s go for your morning walk, princess.”

This nickname coming from those lips made you scowl. You had started to feel some kind of fondness towards it, like if it had become a sort of private joke between Bat Man and you. It felt wrong and creepy coming from Ramirez.

“Don’t call her that, you fucking twat”, came an angry voice behind you.

You could have recognized this gravely tone coated with honey anywhere.

Turning around on your chair, your eyes took Bat Man in all his thunderous glory. Lucille hanging over his shoulder, he was glaring daggers at Ramirez. If looks could kill, he would be dead on the spot. His handsome face was fuming and his eyes were dark as hell. Ramirez complexion had become white as a sheet, but you barely noticed it. You were too focused on trying to control the beating of your heart and your labored breathing when Bat Man turned his attention towards you. He had an air of possessiveness that wrecked you. Your whole body became scorching hot under his gaze. You gulped with difficulty.

“Dwight,” he said without diverting his eyes from yours. “You’ll be in charge of accompanying Rose outside. Ramirez, we need to fucking talk.”

With that, he gave you a sharp nod before leaving the cafeteria in an imposing step, Latino Asshole following him with bend shoulders. When you turned your attention back to Dwight, he was looking at you with deep seriousness.

“You should be careful with him”, he said in a hushed voice.

“I’m not afraid of Ramirez”, you answered sincerely.

You could handle pervy douches like him. Jesus had made sure of that…

“I’m not talking about Ramirez”, he confided, interrupting your line of thoughts.

Frowning, you were about to ask him what all of this was about, when he stood up and cut you off before you could utter a word.

“Let’s go outside”, he said in a commanding tone. 

He gave you no chance to retort when he left the room in a hurry, leaving you running after him to catch up.

            You spent most of the day outside, examining the soil and focusing your thoughts on the task at hand. Bat Man hadn’t tell you specifically what he wanted from you but you guessed he needed your expertise on the soil to see if the Saviors could eventually grow a garden around the outpost. Dwight surveyed you from afar. You took advantage of the fact he apparently wanted to avoid getting near you in case you would ask him questions, to observe the surrounding woods.

Near midday, you suddenly felt a warm tingle in the back of your neck, as if someone was watching you. Thinking it might be Jesus; you turned around and stared at the trees. You saw nothing yet but you could feel he was near. A secret smile ghosting on your lips, you turned your attention back to the wild bush you were examining, a part of you still attentive to your surroundings. Just in case.

A few minutes after, you heard voices coming from the compound. Glancing in that direction, you saw it was Bat Man and four other people. Three men and a woman. They were talking, but you couldn’t understand what they were saying. Inconspicuously, you got closer to them, pretending you wanted to examine another bush a few feet from them. They had their back turned so, they didn’t notice you right away.

“… are the closest, so you’ll have to fucking deal with them”, you heard Bat Man say, all businesslike and authoritarian. They all nodded.

“Now, bugger off, fuckers, I’ve another business to attend to”, he ordered.

The three men left, but the woman stayed. Frowning, you completely forgot about the bush, to focus your attention on Bat Man and _her_. You noticed that she was pretty. Very pretty. She had long brown curls and a glamorous feature with pulpy lips, big blue eyes and a smile to die for. She was curvy just in the right way and wore a tiny short that showed off her long and tanned legs. You hated her on the spot. And the way Bat Man was looking at her made you want to hit something.

“Come on, sugar. You know you want it too” he was saying in his sweetest voice, smiling suggestively at her.

Blood boiled in your veins like a poison and you felt something bitter claw its way up your throat. You remembered what Ramirez had said to you at the Pit. Bat Man was charming and flirting with every piece of tail that caught his eyes. You had stupidly thought that he had just said that out of spite. But it turned out that he had been right. Something painful and corrosive tightened in your stomach.

_Was is jealousy? Hell no!_

There was no way you would be silly and naïve enough to think that you were somewhat special to a man like him. It was foolish and highly ridiculous. He must have at least a dozen of women ready to fall at his feet every time he snapped his fingers. And, after all, you had been the one who had chosen to push him away. It had been your decision to put your mission before the burning need your body had for him. He owed you nothing. But the more you watched him interact with her, the more your stomach felt as if you had eaten something sour. She was giggling at a joke he had whispered to her ear and twirling a lock of her hair around one of her finger.

This made you incredibly mad. At him, because, _come on, get a room already!_ At her for being so giggly and obvious (have some self-respect, girl!) and most of all, at you. Why was it affecting you so much? You had promised that you would put this stupid infatuation aside. Bat Man seemed to have moved on pretty quickly, so you ought to do the same.

_Focus on your mission_! You reminded yourself.

You wouldn’t have had any kind future possible with him anyway.

He was the enemy.

Fighting vehemently the bitterness that was overwhelming your whole being, you threw one last look at them and decided to leave. But just as you were about to turn away, Bat Man caught a glimpse of you and bore his eyes into yours. You didn’t know what he read on your face, but it made him smile devilishly. Angry and a little frustrated by his reaction, you left without even acknowledging him.

_Bastard…_

You still had a little time before Dwight would come to fetch you for lunch, so you decided to use your pretend examination of the ground to get closer to the fence. If Jesus was indeed watching you, it would be the perfect opportunity for him to make himself known. Kneeling facing the forest, you put your hand in the dirt and pretended to examine it, waiting. After a few minutes, you were about to give up when you caught a glimpse of something moving between the trees. Your heart beating like a wild bird, you straightened up, staring hopefully straight ahead. You could see someone coming…

But you let out a little sigh of despair when a swaying walker appeared, its shattered jaw hanging low, only attached to his gaunt face by a sliver of rotten flesh. Torn between anger and frustration, you took Moe from your pants and waited until the walking corps got close enough to stab it in the eye through the fence.

But, just as you were about to wrench you knife out of its socket, you heard a very low whisper, coming from behind the walker.

“Pumpkin?”

You had to bite your lips not to let out the hysterical giggle that threatened to escape your mouth. Lowering your eyes, you saw Jesus, crouched on the ground, using the corpse’s body to hide himself from the compound. He must have used it to get close to the fence as well.

“Jesus…” you soughed in a shuddering breath, closing your eyes for a second and focusing on the fact that your best friend was here. You weren’t alone anymore. But you opened them quickly, staring at Jesus’ face, his smile, his clear eyes.

_God…_ how much you had missed him! It had only been a few days, but it seemed like so much more! And now, standing in front of your best friend, the dead walker hanging from your knife forbidding you to get a good look at him, all you wanted to do was give up everything and run into this arms. And cry. Now that he was here, you realized how alone you had felt in the last few days. Jesus must have felt your despair and seen the little tears that clang to your lashes, because he whispered: “Don’t, Pumpkin. Please. You don’t know how close I am to kill everyone in sight and sweep you away from here. Hiltop be damned…”

Taking a big breath, you strengthened yourself and gave him a little smile instead.

“You don’t mean that”, you replied.

Jesus was a pacifist at heart. He hated killing people and loved Hiltop more than anything… well perhaps not you, as it turned out.

You heart swelling with affection towards him, you added: “I can’t stay long, they will come and get me soon.”

“Are they treating you right?” Asked Jesus, his eyes burning with repressed fury.

A vision of Ramirez and his grabby hands flashed before your eyes, but was soon brushed away by a picture of Bat Man, jumping on the ground to save you from falling into a pit full of walkers.

“They are not all bad”, you admitted with a faraway look.

Something must have shown on your face, because Jesus frowned and his tone hardened. “Pumpkin, don’t let yourself be fooled by them. You know who they are and who they work for. Those men answer to a monster.”

“Negan”, you said between clenched teeth.

Dread swell inside your stomach at the mere thought of him. You would rather die than meet him. But you didn’t really have a choice. Those men, Dwight, Bat Man, their job was to bring you back to Negan and when that would be done, they would probably forget you even existed. Any sparkle of companionship, any beginning of an understanding between you would be smothered. Jesus was right. They worked for a monster. The charm and swagger of Bat Man had nearly made you forget that, it seemed.

Your resolve growing back tenfold, you nodded at your friend.

“Did you found something interesting?” Asked Jesus.

“Yes, this compound his like an armory, I think. I don’t know what the satellite is used for, but I’ll do my best to find out before we leave for the Sanctuary”, you whispered.

Jesus was about to say something else when you heard Dwight call you from far too near. Turning your head, you saw he was walking towards you and he seemed angry. You opened your mouth to warn your hidden friend, when you saw he had already disappear.

_Bloddy Ninja…_ You thought with tenderness.

At last wrenching Moe from the walker’s eye, you watched it fall back to the ground, where Jesus had been crouched seconds before, and turned to Dwight, a wide and innocent smile on your face.

“What are you doing?” Asked the Savior with a dark face.

“Getting rid of weed”, you answered, pointing to the little pile of leaf on the ground… and the dead walker.

“Don’t get that close to the fence, if you get bit, Negan will have me slaughtered!”

“Why would he? He doesn’t even know me and trust me, my death would not prevent Gregory from working with the Saviors in the slightest. It might even make him like you even more”, you replied with a shrug and a nasty smile.

Dwight stared at you for a moment, silent, before taking your arm and forcing you to follow him back inside the compound. He muttered grumpily all the way back, but you barely heard him. Throwing a glance over your shoulder, you were sure you saw a flash of someone watching you back. Hiding a smile behind your hand, you couldn’t help but feel like the situation had shifted a little.

You were not alone anymore.

\-----------------------------

Promise, there will be more interaction between Negan and Rose next time!

 

 


	12. What If ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the delay but I have had trouble focusing on the story for a while, but I'm back on a roll, so I hope you won't have to wait that long next time.
> 
> Happy reading and as usual, if you see any typo, let me know and I'll correct it. ^^

**Chapter 12: What if?**

            At lunch that evening, Dwight reminded you you would all leave for the Sanctuary the next day. It meant you didn’t have a lot a time to try and find out what this bloody satellite was used for. You tried to discretely ask him questions about it but he remained silent, simply giving you looks proving you didn’t fool him in the slightest. No to attract any more attention to yourself, you swiftly changed the subject to try and learn a little more about Dwight himself.

“You really can’t shut up, don’t you?” He finally said with a raised eyebrow.

He didn’t seem angry, more amused by your curiosity. You only answered with a wide grin and to your utter surprise, this made him smile.

“Fine”, Dwight gave up. “If you really want to know, I’m married.”

Raising an eyebrow at him, really stunned by his honesty, you were about to ask him to tell you more about her when Dwight’s eyes lift up from yours and his face suddenly became blank. You didn’t even need to turn around to guess who had suddenly appeared behind you. Tingles of heat sparkling down your back, you took a sip of your bottle of water before saying:

“Good evening Bat Man”.

You heard him huff a little laugh before he came to sit next to you, putting Lucille on the table with a loud bang!

“How did you know it was me?”

You gave him a mysterious smile and replied: “Guess…”

That earned you one of his naughtiest smile and you had to turn back to your food to hide your blush.

“So”, you said to try and erase the little flame currently licking your insides. “We are leaving tomorrow.”

“Indeed, Princess”, answered Bat Man. He swiped a biscuit from your plate and you instinctively tapped his forearm in retaliation. Forgetting for a moment that looking at him was a bad idea, you glared his way with a frown.

“Thief! You know this isn’t good for you, it’ll go directly to your ass”, you blabbered before your stupid brain was able to stop you.

This man really had a bad influence on you…

Your utterly idiotic remark made him nearly choke on his (your!) biscuit and Bat Man turned to you with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you telling me I’m fat, Princess?”

“I’m only stating it would be a shame, you have a fine ass”, you retorted with a shiteating grin you knew was really effective.

But what you hadn’t expected, was Bat Man reaction to your joke. He froze and straightened up, his face becoming an unreadable mask. Without a single glance your way, he stood up and seized your wrist. You barely had time to exchange a surprised look with Dwight, who seemed puzzled as well, before Bat Man wrenched you up and out of your chair.

“What…?” You started, but the glare Bat Man send you shut you up right away.

Oh shit! What had you done?

There was something dark and dangerous in his hazel eyes.

Guessing it would be suicide to protest, you let him lead you quite forcefully out of the cafeteria, everyone present looking at you with evident dread in their eyes. A little voice in your head told you their reaction was strange. And now that you came to think of it, people’s demeanor towards Bat Man was uncommon. He seemed to inspire them a mix of fright and respect. Not for the first time, you wondered who the man that was now bringing you outside actually was.

You had guessed he must be one of Negan closest man but… was he more? Was he his right hand? Was he…?

But all remaining thought left your brain when Bat Man suddenly backed you against a wall. It was night and you could barely see the woods surrounding the compound, but even in the dark, nothing could have prevented you from feeling him against you. Your whole body was hyperaware of everything that was him. His scent, the warmth of his skin, the power of his eyes… His closeness was intoxicating. Bat Man was standing only inches from you and the light coming from a window to your left allowed you to see his face quite clearly. He didn’t seem angry anymore. He seemed ravenous.

You opened your mouth to say something, anything, put ended up looking like a fish out of his bowl. His current expression left you speechless. A mix of expectation and dread trickle down your back and something fiery burst inside your lower belly. His intense eyes stared up and down your face, focusing far too long on your mouth and then, he took a step forward. His whole body now plastered against yours, you felt something hard poke you in the stomach. You didn’t have to guess if it was a gun or… something else when he sensually rolled his hips against yours. Bat Man slide one of his leg between yours and bent his knee so that his thigh was rubbing your burning core just the right way. You didn’t know if he could feel the moisture gathered here, but he let out a throaty grunt when he heard your wanton moan.

His leg was keeping you upright, your toes barely touching the ground and one of his hand was resting against your waist. You were now face to face, your lips only inches apart. Your arms had landed on his shoulder of their own accord. When his free fingers came to cup your jaw, your breath shattered at the feeling of his skin on yours.

_Damned, this man was driving you mad…_ You knew it was wrong on so many levels. He was the enemy and you had promise yourself to get away from him. But it was impossible to think straight when he was so close.

“You shouldn’t fucking talk to me like that, Princess”, Bat Man soughed, his breath grazing your still gapping mouth.

“I’m sorry?” _What did it sound like a bloody question?_

“Shit”, he grunted, his eyes half open. And you knew… you knew what was about to happen. It had been unavoidable really. This _thing_ had been hanging above both your heads since the first time you had laid eyes on each other. “You are fucking…”

But you never found out what he had meant to say because the door to your right suddenly opened and none other than Ramirez came out.

“Sorry Boss, but we have a situation…”

“Ramirez, get the fuck out of here!” Snarled Bat Man.

He had not moved an inch and was still holding you pinned against him.

“It’s Simon. He had a message f… from Negan”, added Ramirez, his eyes going everywhere but on you.

Bat Man sighed and let his forehead fall on your collarbone.

“I’m fucking coming!” He spat and a second later, the door closed behind Ramirez.

Lifting his eyes to look at you, Bat Man let out a little humorless laugh.

“I guess it’s fucking fate, Princess”, he whispered before he took a step back.

You nearly fell to the ground, your trembling legs unable to hold you up. You had to lean against the wall to regain at least a sliver of composure.

“Yes”, you said. “Fate.”

Bat Man was still looking at you with something akin to expectation in his eyes before he shook his head and opened the door.

“Get your lovely ass back inside your room. We leave at dawn.”

That was the last thing he said before he disappeared.

You stayed stunned for a moment, still leaning heavily against the wall. You brought a hand to your forehead and realized you were burning up. This was bad. You really had to stop this nonsense. You were an adult and you knew you owned a pretty good self-control… usually. You had spent years receiving daily shit from Gregory and had managed to never punch him in the face, even if he really had deserved it.

Bat Man would be the death of you…

When you straightened up, you suddenly realized you were alone. Unguarded. Meaning you could sneak inside and try to find out more about this place.

Fighting with your still wrecked body, you nearly had to slap yourself to get your thoughts back together. You had a mission and tonight was the perfect opportunity to act.

You went back inside, closing the door very carefully behind you. Tiptoeing past the cafeteria door, you walked along the empty corridors. It was dinner time and you hoped everyone was in the dining area. You didn’t really know what or where to look, but luck seemed to be on your side because a few minutes after roaming aimlessly around the compound, you stopped in front of a half opened door. You heard a voice coming from inside the room and your eyes widen when you recognized Bat Man’s deep velvety tone.

“…stop on our way to get more supplies. Do you know who fucking started the fire?”

You did not understand the answer coming from the talkie, but it made Bat Man very angry. You heard his fist collide with something and he cursed under his breath.

“This fucking fucker! Hold him in one of the cells and wait for my arrival. I’ll fucking deal with him… We are a day away but if we have to fucking scavenge for food, it’ll take us longer to get back.”

Again, you had a hard time getting anything trough the static coming from the device, but a single name stood out. A name that brought cold shivers to your whole body.

_Negan…_

This man on the other side of the talkie, the one who was back at the Sanctuary. Was it Negan?

What he said made Bat Man laugh and you suddenly felt sick. Seeing how they were talking, they seemed to be quite close, but something was wrong. It seemed like that man was taking orders from Bat Man. Was it…

And suddenly, an awful thought sprang in your brain. What if Bat Man was Negan?

No. It was impossible. Negan was a bloody monster and even if Bat Man was dangerous and deadly, there was a certain kind of sweetness in him. He had risked his life to save yours and was acting very protective towards you. Like if you were something valuable, something he had to keep safe… until he could deliver you to the Sanctuary, _to Negan_.

How could you have forgotten about that? It made you want to puke.

But the fact remained. Bat Man was a bastard, yes, but he wasn’t _him_. His man were treating him with respect, not fear and none of them had ever called him Negan. Now that you came to think of it, they all called him “boss”, never using his real name. Had Bat Man asked them to do so just to piss you off?

If he really was Negan, than the manipulations and the lies he had been unfolding only for your sake were just ridiculous. It just wasn’t possible. A man like Negan would never had gone to such length, playing games only to hide who he really was to an insignificant prisoner like you. A man like Negan would cherish the fact everyone knew who he was.

Moreover, this infamous man was too self-important, too cowardly to get his hands dirty. Bat Man could not be _him_ , because Negan would never have come himself to the Hiltop, he would never have jumped in a whole full of walkers and fought alongside you. He would not have.

And more importantly, you would _NEVER_ be attracted to a man such as Negan, someone who terrorized entire populations and had a harem of wives. Such a man was despicable and disgusting!

So, Bat Man was _NOT_ Negan. You refused to even think about this utterly idiotic idea.

You simply had walked upon a conversation completely out of its context. _Yes, that was it._

Still, you now felt exhausted and a little sick. You turned around and walked back to your room without even realizing it. When you sat on your bed, your eyes lost in a blur and your mind railing, you could not stop thinking about this very, _very_ frightening possibility:

What if Bat Man was Negan?

 

            The next morning, when someone came knocking on your door, you woke up in a start. You had not sleep well at all, plagued with nightmares you wanted to wrench out of your brain forever. In most of them, you were standing next to a blurry man in front of a crowd. The people underneath you were screaming and what you had thought to be cries of joy suddenly turned to howls of pain. You were now standing on a precipice, people, your people from Hiltop, being cut to shreds by walkers at your feet. The man next to you started laughing and his blurry face cleared to reveal Bat Man’s feature. But he wasn’t the man you knew. His eyes were darker and his expression sharper, harder, uglier.

It was Negan and you were standing next to him, like a queen of old being presented to her people. But your new universe was only made of death and agony. And each time, you had woken up with a cry, your eyes full of tears.

Sitting up, you rubbed your face between your hands and answered to the constant knock.

“Yes! I’m coming!”

“Hurry up! We leave in five minutes”, answered Dwight’s voice.  

Wishing you had taken a shower before going to bed last night, you stood up and put your legging back on. You were sticky with sweat but had no time, so you simply splashed your face and armpit with water and put some deodorant. That would have to do for the day. When you opened the door, Dwight was waiting for you. Without a word, he led you outside and it was only when you climbed up inside the back of the truck that he spoke to you: “Can I trust you not to run away while I help the boss?”

You only shrugged. It wasn’t like you had anywhere else to go and you knew trying to escape was the worst idea ever.

So, you watched Dwight, Ramirez and Bat Man fill the truck with boxes. Curiosity getting the best of you, you sneaked a peek inside one of them and saw they were stacked with food. You suddenly remembered what you had heard the night before about a fire and needing to gather supplies on your way to the Sanctuary. You refrained yourself from talking and avoided looking at Bat Man. You could feel his eyes on you every time he came around the truck, but you remained still, your eyes fixed on the growing pile of boxes.

You still felt uneasy after your nightmares and nightly questioning. You hoped the journey would allow you to asked Bat Man questions about Negan, to make sure you were wrong. But even if you found out that he indeed wasn’t the infamous leader of the Saviors, you had to remember that he only seemed to care about your wellbeing because it was his job to do so. He may lust after you, but he did not care for you one bit. He was here to get you back to Negan, nothing more.

When they were done, Dwight and Ramirez took the wheel and Bat Man jumped in to sit in front of you.

“You’re awfully quiet, Princess”, he said.

You watched the compound disappear behind a corner of wood and finally decided it was time to learn the truth.

“Are you ready to play the 20 questions game again?” You asked with a wide fake smile.

Bat Man raised an eyebrow and, Lucille hanging from his gloved hands, he smiled: “You first, Princess.”

The game was on.


	13. Back on the Road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm back! I know this chapter is quite short, but the next one is nearly finished and will be longer, promise.
> 
> Happy reading! ^^

**Chapter 13: Back on the Road**

 

            Bat Man was giving you the upper hand, and you decided to go straight to business.

“What can you tell me about Negan?” You asked bluntly.

He frowned at that and you stared at him, watching the tiniest change in his expression.

“Why are you asking me about him? I thought this fucking game was so I could learn embarrassing shits about you”, he answered with a lopsided smile.

_He was good… but you were better._

“So, you are only playing this game because you want to use it to blackmail me later?” You acted falsely shocked and a little hurt. Playing stupid when you had boobs could be such a gift sometimes.

“Fine!” He spat, visibly not pleased. ”What do you fucking want to know about our fearless leader?”

_Victory!_

“Is it true he has a harem of wives?”

Bat Man naughty grin was back and he licked his lips, watching you intensely, before answering: “I don’t know if it’s really a fucking harem, but yes, he has several wives, the lucky bastard”.

That made you shiver with dread and a vision of Michael, the man who had forced himself on your friend and killed her flashed before your eyes.

“Sorry, but knowing I’ll be offered to him as a goddamned sextoy, I don’t really share your enthusiasm”, you spat, crossing your arms over your chest defensively.

At those words, Bat Man lost his easy smile and straightened up.

“Who told you this?” His tone was dark and angry, which surprised you.

“Gregory implied it and Dwight told me Negan would probably ask me to be his wife. He said he would _like_ me. Don’t act like you ignored it, it has always been part of the deal between my uncle and your leader.”

Bat Man’s jaw tightened but you remained impassive, your eyes never wavering from his. When he stayed silent, you lifted a derisive eyebrow.

“Are you going to deny it? Because I know it would be a lie”, you urged him further.

Finally, his face softened a little and he scratched his beard before admitting: “It was initially part of the fucking deal, but things can change, Princess.” His gaze was unreadable and its intensity made you squirm a little. Probably seeing the disgust in your face, he sighed. “You have to understand that being Negan’s wife isn’t that bad. A lot of women at the Sanctuary would kill to be treated like a queen, showered with gifts and protected.”

You snorted, pouting with utter revulsion and turned away from Bat Man. “Dwight has already tried to sell me the whole ‘ _being Negan’s wife is a great life’_ package. But I’m not buying it. I know man like him. I’ve met man like him… I would rather die than be his fucking wife!”

Your thoughts drifted back to Michael and countless others men you had met along the way. Men who used this fucked up world as an excuse to act worse than animals. But nothing… nothing could excuse their sordid behavior.

“What happened to you, Princess?” Ask Bat Man with a sudden softness in his voice.

Still unable to look him in the eyes, you said: “Nothing happened to me, but I’ve seen it. Too many times to count. When everything turned to shit, I was in college and I traveled a little while with a friend of mine. Her name was Laura. She was murdered by a man who tried to rape her. Michael. He was the leader of a group we had found along the way. I killed him.”

When you admitted slaying the bastard, you turned to stare at Bat Man, pouring all the hate you felt for Michael and his kind into his eyes. He held your gaze, unwavering.

“Negan can be many things, trust me, I know. But he isn’t like this douchbag. If there is a thing he hates in this world, it’s sexual aggression. It’s punishable by death at the Sanctuary and in every place the Saviors go. You don’t know him, so don’t be too hasty in judging the poor bastard”.

“I don’t want to know him”, you admitted, and your tone was final.

You still weren't sure if Bat Man was Negan, because he seemed adamant in finding excuses for the man, but you realized you were at an impasse in any case. You would find out the truth at the Sanctuary and one way or the other, your entire life would change.

Your only hope now was that Bat Man was telling the truth and that Negan wasn’t the complete monster you feared he would be, even if you dreaded the worst. You stared at him, trying to find any crack of his true identity in his hazel eyes. But he was far too sneaky and clever to let anything show.

“Are we still playing, Princess? Because I’ve a lot of questions for you”, said Bat Man, breaking the deafening silence, a slow smile back on his lips.

“I don’t feel like sharing anymore”, you replied, leaning against the back of the truck and turning away from him to gaze at the passing landscape.

“Come on, don’t let me die of fucking boredom, here!”

You rolled your eyes and shook your head at his silliness. But then, you shrugged, agreeing reluctantly.

"The guy with the woolly hat, is he your fucking boyfriend?" He asked first.

Turning to face him again, your eyes widen in genuine surprise, you laughed: “Jesus? Hell no! He's just my best friend.”

He wasn’t the first one to wonder about your relationship with Jesus. Hell, even Gregory, who knew you and was aware Jesus was gay, couldn’t help but stupidly ask about your “infatuation” sometimes.

Bat Man snorted at your answer, obviously not believing you either.

"What?” You replied with derision. “Are you one of those guys who think that friendship between a man and a woman is impossible?"

Bat Man leaned on his legs, watching you seductively through his long lashed.

"No, it's possible…” he started. “But only if one of them is fucking gay. And I heard him when he said he loved you back then."

He had you there, so, you stayed silent. Maybe if he thought you had a boyfriend, he would stop flirting with you, making your decision to stay away from him easier. But it was underestimating him. Because Bat Man was a bastard, yes, but a perceptive one.

"He's gay, isn't it?” He guessed with a wide smile before laughing out loud. “I knew I was fucking right. I personally would sleep with any women, even the ugly ones. I am a fucking giver like that."

“You are a pig”, you huffed, but could not help but find his mood infectious.

You tried to hide your smile, but he saw it and it made him laugh even harder. You simply rolled your eyes again, very deliberately, just to piss him off, before letting out a little giggle.

_What a twat…_

            The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Bat Man and you talked about everything and nothing and even if most of his answers to your questions were pretty vague or just an excuses to make jokes, you managed to learn a few new things about him. First of all, he loved children and not in a creepy way. He seemed to genuinely found them fascinating. He enjoyed cooking and was the king of pasta ( _his words, not yours_ ). And he had loved someone very deeply in the past. Someone who was now gone, but you felt he still missed them.

Slowly, you started to guess the outline of the man Bat Man really was and despite all you knew about his true agenda concerning your relationship, you couldn’t help but like the guy you were discovering. Step by step, joke after joke, you were getting to know him… and that scared the shit out of you.

You were not supposed to enjoy being the Saviors’ captive. Your mission was to spy on them, betray their trust and ultimately to destroy their power over the Hiltop and so many others communities. It was a bad idea to make friends or to care for any of those men, it would only make things harder in the end.

But it was stronger then you. Bat Man fascinated you and there seemed to be nothing you could do to prevent your fall…

“Your favorite food is sushi? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Princess”, he said with a grimace of disgust.

“What? It’s not that unlikely. Lots of people love sushi!” You retorted, slightly vexed.

“It’s just fucking raw fish and rice. It has no flavor, no spice! Sushi are fucking boring!” he seemed to have a very passionate opinion on the subject and that made you burst out laughing.

“Stop mocking me, Princess or I’ll have to fucking spank you”, Bat Man soughed, a dangerous glint in his hazel eyes.

All humor suddenly flew away and you nearly choked. You had also learned he was a very versatile man and it was impossible to predict his reactions. The simplest thing could as easily turn him into a shameless flirt, drive him mad with anger or simply make him laugh his head off. It was pretty unsettling, like waking on the edge of a cliff, but exciting as well. You had always loved a good challenge.

Right now, you simply held his fiery gaze, unable to breathe, your heart beating like a lunatic. Bat Man could just as well make good on his promises and throw you over his knees to spank you, or do nothing but glower at you until you died of spontaneous combustion.

But you never found out, because before anything happened, the truck suddenly stopped, breaking your staring contest.

“We should check this out, boss”, said Ramirez.

Giving you a last breathtaking glance, Bat Man got out. You stretched your neck to check outside and saw you had stopped in front of an old dinner. The facade was dirty and faded and you could make out walkers roaming through the glass doors. If there was rotting corpses inside, it meant that maybe this place had not been ransacked yet. There may be food left.

You heard Bat Man and his men talk in hushes for a few minutes before he came back. Leaning his hips against the truck, he crossed his arms on his chest.

“We want to check out this place, but we don’t know how many fucking roamers are lurking inside. We may need your help to clear the path, Princess. Would you be up for it?” He asked.

You raised a surprised eyebrow. Was he actually asking for your assistance?

“Are you serious right now?” You snorted.

You had already fought alongside him, but it had been under wildly different circumstances. It had been about survival inside the pit, a temporary alliance between two enemies, nothing more. Was he really expecting you to help the Saviors? You were their fucking prisoner for godsake!

You… But then, you realized you did not consider Bat Man like a real enemy anymore. Or at least, not totally. Was it mutual? Was he really trusting you with this?

“I’ve seen you fight”, he answered. “If I give you back another one of your beloved knives, do you think you would be able to get the job done?”

“I…” you hesitated. It was a great opportunity to gain their trust. If they needed you, then it would make your mission easier. “Yes!” You decided, your face a hard mask.

“Fucking perfect!”

You jumped out of the truck and Bat Man took a step towards you. You stayed put and refused to back down, even when he smiled sensually at you. From the corner of your eyes, you saw him reach for his belt and seconds later, he was sliding one of your knives under the hem of your leggings. You felt his still gloved fingers brush the naked skin of your stomach and you shivered against your will.

“Let’ go, Princess”, he whispered before stepping back, waving Lucille in the air.

You followed him and joined Dwight and Ramirez near the front door of the dinner. You all shared a look before Mister Weasel put his hand on the handle.

“Ready?” Said Bat Man.

Dwight nodded and opened the door. After that, all Hell broke loose.


End file.
